Runaway Girl
by Kalsypher
Summary: Ducky ran away from her torturous village to join the Scouts. With women banned from the military, she has to fake her gender for the next three years. With the help of her friend Erwin Smith, she managed to make it through the training. Before graduation, the elders of her village found her. Erwin gave her a second chance at life by sending her to the Underground.
1. Chapter 1

She grumbled as she tugged on her shirt. A small bag was next to her feet that couldn't touch the ground due to her small stature. Her red hair hung in her face, freshly cut to an annoyingly short length, yet still long enough to get in her eyes.

She had been lucky in life so far, staying a normal size as most twelve year olds. She knew her growing would stop soon, but nearing 150 cm wasn't exactly terrible for her age.

"I'm Erwin Smith."

She jumped at the sudden distraction, immediately looking up at an older blond teen. He towered over her, probably already at 183 cm. He had an odd smile, genuine, yet fake, like he was suspicious of her.

"Ducky Kelley," she greeted with a curt nod before going back to her shirt.

"I don't think I've ever heard that accent," she heard him comment. Her heart skipped a beat as she scolded herself for being so foolish to let it slip. "Where are you from?"

There was no hiding it. "There's a small village that surrounds a lake in the north, just behind Wall Maria. Lagoon Crater, we call it. Most call it Jack's Ale."

Every word was a lie. No, she was from a village just outside Wall Sina, a cursed place where only the damned can survive. She refused to be part of the damned any longer. Stupid experiments. Stupid scientists. She hated them all.

"Jack's Ale? I've never heard of such a place," he said curiously.

"It started off as a wheat farm and slowly turned into a distillery where a lot of alcohol gets shipped out. I'm sure you've heard of Daisy Yellow?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "My uncle loves the stuff."

"It's because it's a cold brew," she explained shortly.

All of that had been true. She had heard rumors about it in her village, since Daisy Yellow was the reason behind some of the experiments. She hated the stuff. It was also used as medicine sometimes to ease the pain of whatever experiment the scientists were conducting. She had many memories of the experiments, but without the memory of pain, some of the experiments could have been dreams.

"It's going to be an interesting three years," he sighed as he looked at the gathering boys. "And all of them want to be in the Military Police. Is that what you're hoping for?"

"Nah," she replied. "It'll be the Scouts for me."

She watched his massive eyebrows nearly fly off his forehead in shock, "You're going for the Scouts? That's suicide!"

She shrugged as she looked at the ground, "I didn't want to brew or farm, which is what my village does. Other cities aren't fond of people from Lagoon Crater because they think we're all drunks. Joining the military seemed like the best option."

"The Scouts is definitely an extreme," he muttered. "I'm glad I'm not going alone."

Now, it was her turn to be surprised as she looked at him, "Do you have a death wish?"

"No," he replied firmly. "I want to end this nonsense of being enslaved by these creatures. I am tired of living in fear."

Her eyes turned to her hands as she picked at her fingers, "You don't think the walls will hold either?"

"Of course they'll hold!" Someone announced, approaching the two. "They've lasted this long, haven't they?"

"With the right nutrition, a human can live a hundred years. For all we know, someone is still alive that's older than the walls," Ducky said.

The older teen stared at her, "What sort of freak are you?"

Her attention went to the ground. A heavy hand landed on her shoulder as Erwin stood up, giving the intruding teen a nasty look, "Don't just ask someone about something they can't change. People are different from each district. If you weren't some brat from a Military Police family, you would know that."

The stranger continued looking down at her before shrugging, "Whatever. You do you, but make no mistake. Those walls will hold."

A jingle caught her attention. She looked up to see him wearing a necklace with the symbol for Wall Sina on it. "You're a Wall worshiper?"

"Yep! If you have any questions, just let me know!"

"Where did the walls come from?" She asked before he could walk away.

He chuckled, "That's always the first question." He placed his hand on her head, "You see, even the priests don't know that answer. They've spent years and years watching and waiting, speaking with the walls and asking for guidance. The walls have always given us protection. We fear if questioning them too much may cause them to fail."

"Why Sina? Wall Maria is protecting everyone. Shouldn't it be your focus of worship?"

The teen snatched her from her feet, holding her a few inches off the ground as he held her eye level with himself, "You will not blaspheme Wall Sina in such a way. She has the most important job of protecting the King. That is why I am joining the Military Police. I must protect her."

"Why not the Garrison? They're actually on the wall," Ducky suggested.

The teen threw her to the ground, causing a small dust cloud to form around her. Ducky clenched her fists in the dirt trying to not react to the assault. Everything was fine. She needed to make a good impression.

She got to her feet, dusting her clothing off while glancing up at the enraged teen, "I wasn't trying to offend you. The Military Police may be for those that graduated too of their class, but it's also for cowards. You say you want to protect the walls, but you're trying to protect the King or more likely, your own life. Don't claim your title to be a Wall worshippers when you don't even know their basic history." She snatched the necklace from his neck, "Did you know that wearing the medallion backwards was a sign of treason about thirty years ago? Try again another day to convince me you're a worshipper."

"At least I can speak normally. I don't know why some of your words are longer than others, but it makes you sound stupid."

"I would pick sounding stupid over looking like you're about to commit treason any day," she replied as she sat down once more.

She noticed Erwin was looking at her, almost awestruck. He finally smiled, "Well, Ducky, I'm sure we'll both make it to the Scouts."

When the carriage finally arrived, she saw Erwin hesitate to pick up her bag for her. Before anyone else could catch it, she snatched it from the ground and slung it over her shoulder' pretending not to notice at all. The long trip took a few days, and over that time, she became close to Erwin. At night, they slept next to each other, and during the day, sat next to each other.

It was nice, on Ducky's part, but she had noticed the change in Erwin. On occasion, he would hesitate before deciding to help her with something. She could only conclude that he knew her secret. As long as she kept it from others, she would be fine, she hoped.

When they first arrived, they were directed to the cabins they would be staying. It was a huge almost bunker like place filled with enough bunk beds to hold all the recruits and a few more.

She claimed a bunk with Erwin, who took the top so she wouldn't have to climb all the time. Soon, they were taken outside, told to stand at attention, and wait. Ducky stayed perfectly still and silent while some of the others began to talk and let their stances falter with their casual conversations.

"This is the saddest group I have ever seen!" A man yelled.

Ducky could hear all the soldiers scrambling to get back into place in a still salute. Refusing to turn her head, she could only hear and wait for the man to appear. As he came into view, she realized what respect truly was. Commander Richard Johnson was his name, and he had been with the Garrison.

In his green eyes were stories of nightmares past. It was hurting him to look at them, knowing in his heart, some of them would die. Some of them were stupid enough to join the Scouts, and it was evident that was where his experience came from.

She imagined he would probably be considered a veteran even though he was so young. Only in his early to mid fifties, the man had seen far too much and must have volunteered to train the next generation of idiots that wanted to either live an easy life, wash a wall, or get eaten alive by titans.

"Now, if you think this is going to be easy, you are mistaken!" He yelled. "Most of you will give up during this training! Some of you will probably die during this training! Joining the Military is not a joke! Anyone that acts out of line will be subject to be sent home or face a severe punishment! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes, sir!" Everyone answered.

And so, the yelling in someone's face began. Brainwashing or something. As he neared Ducky, she wondered what would happen. Would she be able to fool him like she had so many others?

"And what's your name, freak?!" He yelled at Ducky.

"Ducky Kelley, sir!" She answered loudly.

"What sort of name is that, boy?!" He screamed.

"The one I was given, sir!" She answered.

"What's wrong with your voice, cadet?!"

"Everyone in my village has this accent, sir!"

"Second row! About face!"

Everyone turned around where she was staring at nothing, everyone else behind her. She had done it. She had fooled the commander. This was a good start.

Women weren't allowed in the Military. They were considered a distraction and weak. They were supposed to cook, clean, do things, and make babies. That was not the life she wanted. In her village, she was already kept from doing many things. Reading was a primary that she did her best to self teach, but she had very rocky results. She couldn't write, but she could draw. The only way for her to write was to think the letters as pictures. It was difficult, but it worked.

As the first day came to its end, she had ventured around long enough to know she would need to find a way to learn how to read and write. They were going to have classes that required both skill sets. As she sat in the mess hall, she tried to think of ways to ask someone to help.

"Hey, Duck," Erwin greeted as he sat by her. "You look like something's bothering you."

"Just nervous, I guess," she replied.

"About what? Being caught?" He asked lowly.

She slowly turned her attention to the teen, watching him for any sign of joking. No, he knew. Her eyes went back to the stew in front of her. "Are you going to tell?"

"No," he answered. "I admire your courage. But, you didn't answer my question."

"Oh, I don't know how to read...or write. I lied about where I'm from and basically everything else. I'm not ready to talk about the set yet, if that's okay."

They were told to keep it a secret, unless someone found out. When someone found out, they were trained to kill. She was not a fan of the killing, having been forced to kill various creatures she held dear to her heart. She knew the difference between food and pets. Every child was given a pet, then when they turned ten, they had to kill it, as if it was someone that had found out their secret.

She was not going to kill Erwin Smith.

Erwin simply smiled as he ruffled her hair, "Don't worry, kid. Just think of me as a big brother or something. I'll take care of you."

Ducky looked up at him as she tore off a piece of her bread, "I don't need protecting. I just can't read."

He sighed, "Alright, we'll start on that tomorrow, and every day until you're able to read and write on your own. How does that sound?"

She nodded, allowing a small smile. "Okay."

"You know, I've never seen red hair before," he told her as he pulled at a lock. "Is it normal where you're from?"

"No, just me," she answered. "I'm part of a triplet set, and my brothers have black and blond hair, but their eyes are like mine. Killian has a green eye, and Peter has a grey eye."

"That's weird," he commented. "Did your brothers not want to join the Military?"

"No, the elders of the village assign the boys on what they'll do as they grow up. We have no choice but to do as they say. Orders straight from the King himself."

Erwin hummed in thought as he ate his stew. She could almost see the gears turning in his head, but he was brought from his thoughts when the bell to end dinner chimed. The door was opened with a force that could have thrown it from the hinges. "Tonight, you're going to start learning some responsibility! All of you will be cleaning this room until it is spotless!"

Everyone stared at each other, all trying to figure out how the hundred and twenty of them were going to clean this place. It wasn't possible for so many people to clean this area, was it?

"Listen up, everyone!" Erwin yelled, silencing everyone. "We have four brooms available! I want four people sweeping the perimeter of this room! When the perimeter is clean, I wand everyone to work on pushing the tables against the wall so we can sweep the middle of the room! We will only need ten people in the kitchen to do the dishes! Now, Ducky and I will distribute the cleaning supplies accordingly before joining!"

"And why should we take orders from you?" A man looking like he was in his early twenties asked as he stepped forward. Liam Howard was his name. His brown eyes were burning with fury, "I'm the oldest one here. I will give the orders."

Ducky stepped in front of Erwin before the man could get any closer. "We'll divvy up the soldiers. Whoever agrees with Erwin can clean one half of the room, the ones that agree with Liam can do as he orders."

Slowly the room started to part. There were enough people to follow through with Erwin's plan lined up while the others joined Liam, though he had not announced his plan.

Ducky passed out cleaning supplies as directed by Erwin before heading to the kitchen to wash dishes while he helped sweep the main room. Half of the kitchen was in absolute chaos. The half that Liam had been in charge of were scattered about, unable to do any job while Erwin's side kept a steady pace.

"How old are you?" A man named Walter asked as he dried off a bowl Ducky had handed him.

"I'm twelve," she answered as she rinsed off a sudsy bowl.

"Kinda young for the Military, don't you think?" He asked curiously.

"If it was too young, it wouldn't be the age limit," she commented. "I don't have a family. I'm not able to take care of myself, so I joined the Military to gain a new family and have someone to help me."

"So, you don't care about the Titans?" He rolled his eyes. "I bet you're trying to get into the Military Police."

She scrunched her nose at the thought as she handed him another dish, "That's stupid. I plan on being in the top ten, but I'm going to be in the Scouts."

"Scouts?! Are you crazy?!"

She pulled the stopper from the sink allowing the water to drain. "Nope. The Scouts have a goal, while the Garrison watches Titans gather at the edge and the Military Police ruin the public in Sina. I want to be rid of the walls. I want to know what's on the other side. There's no one to miss me if I die. Might as well die trying to save humanity."


	2. Chapter 2

When Ducky stepped out of the kitchen, there was still chaos in the main room, Erwin just shaking his head as he watched.

"My team has left already," Erwin as he headed to the door, Ducky following him. "I spoke with Commander Johnson. He was not happy, so be ready for tomorrow to be brutal. However, he agreed that we approached it the right way. In fact, he was watching to see who would step forward."

"That's good on your part," Ducky smiled. "I'm not much of a leader, but I'm okay with ideas."

"I brought that up with the Commander, and he appreciated your idea. He said we would make a decent team and to keep up the good work." He placed his large hand on top of her head, "Keep up the good work. Oh, and you should go take a shower before anyone else gets in there."

She nodded, bolting off to the barracks and grabbing her things to change into before bed. Her shower was very short since she could hear the guys getting closer. She was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, towel on her head as she walked out of the bathroom. There was a fight about to break out just outside. She headed back in, brushing her teeth and walking out to see the argument still going on.

"What's going on?" She asked Stanley, a teen that had picked the bunk next to her.

He shrugged, "Liam just suddenly started yelling at Farley. I think it's about a girl from their hometown."

"A girl, huh? Whatever."

"You don't have anyone that will miss you, or someone you miss?"

"Of course I miss my family. They died though. Everyone where I'm from just called me a freeloader, so I decided to join the Scouts."

"That's a terrible reason to join," Stanley rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's either that or starve to death," she replied. "The Garrison doesn't do much, and I don't like the Military Police. Why not try to fight back?"

He shook his head, "Whatever."

Something slammed into Ducky's head causing her to stumble back until she fell on her butt. She frowned as her eyes started to water due to the force that slammed into her nose. Erwin practically teleported to her side, gently pulling her hands from her face. She stared at the blood in her hands, then wiped the tears from her face.

"Are you alright?" Erwin panicked.

"Yeah," she replied as she got back to her feet and popped her fingers.

"Don't baby him, Erwin," Liam scolded. "The Titans definitely won't."

It didn't go past her attention that he was rubbing his steadily swelling hand. He had been the one that punched her and probably broke a couple of knuckles to knock her down like that.

She simply smiled and wiped the blood from her nose once more, "I'll let this slide, Liam. Next time, I'll fight back."

The man sneered down at her, "You wouldn't be able to survive another punch from me." He suddenly chuckled to lighten the mood, "I don't want to have to deal with accidentally killing a child when the Titans will do it anyway."

She rolled her eyes as she picked up her towel from the ground and dusted it off before rubbing her hair dry once more. "You might want to get your hand looked at. It would be a shame for a broken hand to be the reason you couldn't stay."

He growled slightly but listened to her advice to get it examined. She headed back to her bed, draping her towel over the edge so it could dry. Folded at the end of her bed was the uniform. Everyone had been given the uniform then sized accordingly so it would fit. The next day, they were going to learn how to properly tie all the straps down.

Stanley sighed as he sat down on the bunk across from he, steam floating around him from the hot shower. "Man, it's either boiling water or freshly melted snow."

She smiled slightly at the description. She didn't get the chance for the hot shower, enduring the freezing water for the few minutes to get clean.

"At least there's an option," she replied as she fell back on her bed, not really tired. "I'm sure we'll be begging for the cold shower after tomorrow."

"You're probably right," he grumbled. "Can't believe Liam got us in trouble."

"You're such a pessimist," Ducky said as she looked over at him. "I know we don't have the same goals, but what if you change your mind along the way and end up in the Scouts? You'll be that much stronger."

He scoffed, "I'm not changing my mind, but that is a good point. If you're just going to join the Scouts, why are you trying to get in the top ten?"

She yawned, "I just want to prove it to myself that I'm able to do it. I want to prove my worth."

Stanley was quiet as she turned her attention to the bunk above her. Erwin hadn't returned since his small panic when she got punched. Hopefully he wasn't fighting Liam. She was pulled from her thoughts when something landed on her stomach.

"We'll start with this book," Erwin said. "I don't know why it's here, but it's fairytales. Easy words and simple stories."

She picked up the book and stared at the title. "What's it called?"

"Life in Reverse."

"I've never heard of it," she replied as she put the book to the side.

"It's very dark," Stanley said, breaking into the conversation. "It's about a village that has titan children trying to become human. In the end, the titan children eat everyone."

Sounds familiar, Ducky mused as she sighed. "Sounds fun."

"So, you can't read?" Stanley asked quietly. "A lot of poorer families don't know how, so there's no reason to be ashamed."

She smiled at him, grateful for his encouragement. With a long stretch, she climbed out of bed and got under the sheets. With a final yawn, she turned over and snuggled into her pillow. It would be the last time she would ever get a break.

She woke up early to a bell going off. Stumbling out of bed, she stood at attention just like Erwin. Commander Johnson yelled something that Ducky's groggy mind couldn't comprehend, but she stayed still, waiting for anyone else to move.

"Alright, time to get dressed," she heard Erwin say.

Ducky stopped moving as she looked at him, "What?"

"Just keep your back to everyone," he directed.

She nodded, turning her back to everyone, much like Erwin and pulled her shirt off, revealing a vest like bandage wrapping around her chest and torso.

Erwin raised an eyebrow, "A bit much, don't you think?"

"Nope," she replied as she finished buttoning up her white shirt.

After pulling her pants on, she put on the small leather skirt around her waist, following her first attempt at putting the straps on. Slowly, she managed to put it on correctly, clipping everything where it needed to go and sliding her boots on to start connecting her straps to her boots. Finally ready, she jogged out of the cabin, joining the others at attention, waiting for the day's orders.

When Commander Johnson appeared, he had a new face of rage while glaring at them, "I hope you didn't unpack! We're going to be getting in the maneuvering gear today, and if you can't hold yourself up, you can't stay!"

They got a very short breakfast before walking half a mile to an empty place where five stations were set up, each holding this almost swing like contraption. Though almost all the cadets had their straps on, they were instructed to take them off and step by step told how to put the straps on. Turns out, if Ducky had kept her straps in that position, she would have ripped her legs off with the force of the gear.

It was a slow process, Commander Johnson and a few others watching the cadets as they balanced or fell over in their swings.

"Alright, freak! Let's see what you can do!"

Due to the nickname alone, a lot of people went quiet as they watched her. As she climbed into the gear, clicking everything into place, she noticed Erwin giving her an encouraging smile while the Commander had a very expecting gaze on his face. Had she made such an impression even the Commander wanted her in the military?

As the lift started to raise her, it didn't take long until her feet were off the ground and she was just hanging there, frowning at how easy it had been. She had seen a lot of people fall, and that made her extremely nervous, but it was so simple. Perhaps some were just more centered than others.

Erwin smiled when she got down, ruffling her hair, "Good job, Duck. When I get finished, we'll start on your lessons."

She grinned, crossing her arms over her chest as she waited.

"Lessons?"

She turned to see a younger man, but definitely a soldier standing in as a teacher smiling. She immediately saluted the greying man who raised his hand, "There's no need for that. Please, tell me about these lessons."

"Oh, I can't read or write, sir," she explained.

His light eyes narrowed briefly before he smiled, "I see. Very well, allow me to teach you."

"S-sir?" She stuttered.

"You heard me," he smiled. "I would be more than happy to help. After all, I will be your teacher on titans."

Her eyes moved to Erwin, but snapped back to the teacher when he touched her face, "Mr. Smith can retrieve you from me when he's done here."

"B-but, I wanted to be there for him. He was there for me," she tried to argue, but only got an impatient look from her teacher.

With a thick swallow, she glanced back at Erwin who had been watching the exchange. He had that same fake smile he wore when he first met her and nodded.

As she left with her teacher, he introduced himself as Captain James Newson. He was from the Military Police and had never seen a Titan.

"Sir, no offense, but shouldn't someone from the Scouts teach us about Titans?" She asked as he closed the door behind him when they got to his office.

Only then did she understand his true motives. He had that same smile all the other men had. Did he know or was he into boys? She didn't stick around to find out. Rather than trying to escape his office through the only door he was walking from, she ran out the nearest window and continued, her blood trailing behind.

When she found Erwin, he looked mortified, looking over her injured arm, "Ducky, what happened?"

Before she could answer, Captain Newson caught up to her, grabbing her by her uninjured arm. "How careless of you to run away like that. You could have gotten seriously injured. Let's get you cleaned up."

She sent a pleading glance to Erwin before the Captain could pull her away. Erwin gave the Captain a kind smile, "Don't worry about it," he said warmly. "I'll take her."

The Captain simply denied Erwin's request, taking her to the medical building to get stitched up. His half-truth of her falling out a window due to leaning against the glass worked as the man stitched her arm up.

Again, she was taken back to his office. Instead of bolting, she stood still, watching him go to his desk and pull out some paper and a pencil. That nightmarish, hungry gaze was back, but he seemed more focused on the paper in his hand. He easily dropped it on the desk before approaching her, turning her to the wall and pinning her against it.

His hot breath against her ear made her skin crawl. She knew she was stronger than this man, but what could she do to stop this from happening? Her heart raced as he whispered what he would do to her for the next three years. He vowed to enter every crevice of her body, even hinting he knew she was a girl. He threatened her, warning if she told anyone, he would reveal her secret.

Her head was starting to ache from the pressure of her blood racing throughout her body. His hands were allowed to freely roam her body, allowing him to do as he pleased while she stayed against the wall.

It reminded her of home. The men at her village were the same, doing as they pleased to any girl at any age. Commitment did not exist in that place. Every man got whatever girl he wanted, and if two men wanted one girl, they could share and the elders would do nothing to stop it.

"How naughty," she heard him whisper, his voice husky. "Not a virgin at such a young age. What a sad think to know. It does keep your uniform clean though, doesn't it?"

She took his chuckle to mean she could leave, so she did, but not before he stopped her, "Why don't you come back tonight? We'll have some more fun."

When she didn't reply, he laughed and let her go. She needed to find a way out of this. She would need Erwin's help, but there was no way to tell him. Not without the others getting suspicious. When she stepped out of the building, she was shocked to see a furious Commander Johnson standing with other furious teachers and silent students.

Erwin grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away from the door and out of the crowd while the Commander stormed in the building.

"You need to tell me everything," Erwin said as he reaached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "After you left, I found this in my pocket."

She unfolded it and stared at the words, unable to read it. "Erwin, I can't read."

"It says 'Help, he's going to hurt me." Erwin read. "I don't know how this got in my pocket, Ducky, but you put it there. If we're going to keep this under wraps, you need to tell me everything."

The two walked back to the barracks, sitting on her bed so she wouldn't have to climb. "I come from a village called Golden Rod. It's just outside Sina and most of the Military Police come from there. Scientists began injecting women with titan DNA to try to create the perfect soldier, and they put those men in the Military Police rather than in the Scouts. Women are only necessary for play things and babies. The only way to keep up with who's related to who is by last name. I have at least twenty brothers and sisters, all by different men and women, but only Killian and Peter are my actual brothers. However, my generation almost didn't make it. Over a hundred women were pregnant at the same time as my mother, all injected with abnormal titan DNA. Almost all the women and babies died. The babies grew much too large for the women to hold and the women died a slow death, slowly getting crushed by their growing child. My mother did die in the end, but we made it. There's something different about the three of us. I don't exactly remember what my brothers are capable of doing, but I can move things with my mind...and apparently write and put things in people's pockets."

"You didn't know you did this?" Erwin asked.

She shook her head, "I consciously don't know how to read or write. Erwin, you have to teach me."

A loud bang followed by a scream caught their attention. Rushing to the small school where she had been, they found Commander Johnson standing over Captain Newson, his pistol smoking while the Captain held onto his thigh.

"You better be glad it's in your leg and not your head," the Commander spat. "You will be reported to you commanding officer and hopefully taken to court for execution. If I could choose your punishment, I would dangle you off the wall where the titans could kill you slowly." He looked at a nearby officer, "Tie him up and leave him in medical." When the commander saw her, he approached as she and Erwin saluted. I want you to take the rest of the day off," he told her gently. "Smith, if you want to look after him, you can."

"Thank you, sir," the two cadets replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Erwin and Ducky spent the rest of the day just hanging out rather than teaching her anything. He told her about his life, how his uncle told him some conspiracy theories and he was now looking for the answers behind titans.

It was strange how no one really thought about the titans until someone asked them some deep question about them. But, then again, they had practically faded from everyone's thoughts. The walls had just been up that long, and there was no one alive that remembered them, except the Garrison and Scouts.

The titans plagued Ducky's mind as she mulled them over. Obviously, there was a way to kill them, but what was so important about them that there was a village being injected with their DNA?

"Your arm has healed up," Erwin said.

She looked at him then the bandage on her arm where a small part of the cut was still showing. The stitches had popped out and were dangling some, but there was a scar left behind.

She looked at him as she took of the bandage, "Is that not normal?"

"Titans can almost heal faster than they can be cut open," he answered.

"Another Titan trait," she mumbled as she dusted off the rest of the stitches that had come from her skin. "It's making me wonder if I'm actually human."

Erwin smiled at her small joke, "You're not tall enough to be a titan."

She smiled a bit as well, holding her bandage in her hand. "I wonder how many students he's done that to," she wondered aloud. "He knew I was a girl. Do the others know and they're just playing it off?"

"Maybe," Erwin shrugged. "I would imagine most women just showed up, not trying to hide it like you're doing. They might address it when you're older."

She looked at the ground. Erwin was different than every man she had ever met. Even while being a gentleman, he managed to make them equal, never placing her on a pedestal. She appreciated it. That was the kind of friend she needed.

"Hey, Erwin. If I don't get executed, do you think I would make a good soldier?" Ducky asked.

"I would want you on my squad" he replied. "Are you second guessing being her?"

"Not exactly," she answered as she picked at her nails. "If I wasn't a good soldier, I would go to the Military Police. I might end up there anyway. My, uh, people are automatically placed in the Military Police due to their strength and what not. We should be out fighting titans, but they keep us at the king's side. It doesn't make sense to me."

Erwin placed his hand on her head, "I completely agree with you, Duck. Is that your real name?"

She blushed as she looked at the ground, "Ermengarde."

"How did you get Ducky from that?"

"I just made it up on the spot," she replied.

"Ducky is definitely better than whatever your name is," Erwin laughed.

She nodded, "And I've got to keep it. They'll find me if I don't."

He sighed, "You really want to get away. It makes me wonder what sort of place it was."

"Do you really want to know?" She asked him dismally. "I can show you."

Erwin didn't answer as he watched her start to undress until her shirt was off, showing just the vest made from bandages. She reached to her back, pulling a piece of the bandage off and started to unroll it.

She was covered in what looked like tattoos, but were made from scars that had been carved deep in her skin. "So, there's a way to permanently stop the titans' healing powers?"

"It's a very careful burn," she replied. "My wounds only heal when I bleed. They had to burn me."

She tensed up when he touched it. "The mark of the Military Police."

He helped her tie the bandaged back and she put her shirt back on as well as adjusting the straps once more.

She sighed as she fell onto her bed, barely missing the top bunk. "How many did we lose today?"

"I would say about eighty," Erwin stated as he grabbed the book from under her pillow. "You've never heard this story before?"

"Nope," she replied as she took it from him. "Are you going to read it to me?"

"No, you're going to read it to me," he said, helping her sit up. "Start reading."

She frowned as she sat up, opening the book. Where to start?

He pointed at the first line, "We are the children. Not titan, not human, but some terrible creature created from the two. We want to die. Can you help us?"

Ducky only thought she knew what depression was until she read the entire story with Erwin's help. It didn't make her cry, it made her heart heavy. It wasn't entirely a lie. She had heard of the first Titanics, as they were called. The book described their pain from the injections, the pain from the sudden growth, the pain of the cuts and heat they had to deal with when they were injured. Of course, it was all written with silver lining, the whole thing being prefaced with fiction.

"Is that really what it's like?" Erwin asked as he handed her some paper. Now she had to write the whole thing.

"I've seen people like that, begging for death because of the insanity the injections can cause. Cannibalism is rare, but not surprising when it shows up. All the women are tiny, though. Only the men reach over 182 cm. They have violent tendencies and...desperate desires."

They hadn't noticed how much time had passed until they heard the bell ring. It was already supper time? They left the barracks, heading to the mess hall where Commander Johnson announced there would be a new teacher for titan classes and strategy. He was younger than most and missing an arm. Kyle Ziegler was his name and he was a representative of the Scouts for the time being until another person could take his place. Due to his injury, he had been allowed to take this position, claiming he had killed five Titans before he came.

At least he had seen a titan. There was no mention of why Captain Newson was gone, and since classes hadn't started, no one really cared. Erwin and Ducky took an empty spot close to Farley, who looked pretty grumpy, glaring at Ducky when she sat down.

"Liam got sent home because of you," he snapped. "If you hadn't broke his hand, he wouldn't have failed the balancing test!"

"He punched me in the face," Ducky argued, "It's not my fault!"

Farley suddenly jumped to his feet, ready to fight her. "Why don't we take this outside?"

"Fighting me isn't going to bring Liam back!" She exclaimed as she got to her feet. "I'm not going to fight you! I'm only twelve!"

Farley reached across the table, picking her up by her shirt, pulling her half way across the table. "Don't use your age as an excuse," he spat. "You're in the military now. You better man up and take responsibility!"

He shoved her backwards, making her fall over the chair and landing hard on the wooden floor. Erwin was by her side, helping her get untangled from the bench. She had jumped the gun joining the military at such a young age. But, if she hadn't, she would be joining the many young mothers of her village.

"You okay?" Erwin asked as she got settled in her seat and grabbed her stew from him. "That looked painful."

"It was," she grumbled as she rubbed the top of her head. "I'll put him in his place. I can guarantee that."

"You'll have to show me some of your mind tricks," Erwin smiled. "I still think you're lying about the writing and reading thing."

"But I'm not," she whined. "I will show you some of my power, though. It's not very strong, so I can barely do anything. That's why the note is so weird."

He chuckled, "I wrote it. I followed you, and when I saw what he was going to do, I convinced Commander Johnson that you were in trouble and that you had passed me the note before he took you."

He laughed when she smacked his arm, glaring at him, but smiling nonetheless. He ruffled her hair, "We'll need to cut your hair soon. You didn't do such a great job."

She huffed as she took a bite of her roll. "You really are going to act like my big brother."

"You're young and away from home," he replied gently. "I would want someone helping me if I was in your position."

That much was true. She adored Erwin, forever grateful that someone was helping her get her life right in this structured world. She didn't need Erwin's strength, but she was appreciative of his friendship and overall helpfulness. She knew he was probably watching over her just so he could learn more about how to deal with young soldiers, but he did care.

Again, the cadets were told to clean the mess hall. This time, everyone looked at Erwin for direction. He looked down at Ducky, "What do you think, Ducky?"

"You'll want to put the shorter guys and larger guys in here to sweep and move the tables. Taller guys need to do the dishes because they can reach the shelves."

Erwin immediately started assigning places while Ducky passed out the cleaning supplies. She was given a mop to clean up the kitchen when the dishes were done while Erwin helped move tables when necessary. Everything went smoothly unlike the previous night.

Erwin was given high praise as they left, while Ducky kept to the back of the group to avoid attention. She had had a bad day, and the reality of it was starting to sink in as she headed for the showers. She was grateful for the scalding water as she washed everything that had been violated that day. She stayed in the shower longer than she anticipated because Erwin turned off the water and put a towel around her. If her pink skin could get redder, it would have shown due to the sudden amount of nakedness that surrounded her.

Keeping to the broken shower at the end of the bathroom, she quickly got dressed and headed out, not looking anywhere but forward. When she finally got to her bed, her skin was a lighter shade of pink than it had been, steam still rising from her heated skin.

"You okay?" Erwin asked as he approached her.

She stared at the floor, trying to process if she was or not. Erwin sighed as he sat next to her, "If you want to sleep with me, you can." He smiled some as he placed his hand on her head, "You remind me of my cousin. When he had a bad day or got in a fight or had nightmares, he would sleep with me."

She considered his words before nodding. Though she knew Captain Newson couldn't get to her, she felt she needed the protection Erwin could offer. Her brothers had done the same with her when she was growing up. They couldn't stop what was happening to her, but they could help her feel a little better after.

"That's a little weird, Erwin," Stanley said as he sat on his bunk. "You've only known him a few days. And why are you having nightmares? We haven't even started training."

She looked at the ground "Life in Reverse got under my skin," she lied smoothly.

"Ah, yeah, it will do that," he nodded. "Just remember. It's just a story, there's no truth behind it."

She faked a smile, "I hope so."

Erwin gently forced Ducky to lay down, "You need rest. Tomorrow will be better."

The next day was a lot better. She got to run around, working out and doing other exercises to get the strength for start working with the vertical maneuvering gear. Erwin had to force her to eat lunch since she was so exhausted from working out.

This became a daily routine for nearly five months. When they were finally given the gear, everything changed. All the cadets had gained a lot of muscle mass that was not needed with the gear. As they gained flexibility, they were introduced to titan killing training and over all survival skills.

As the months passed, the teens in the group began to grow like grass while Ducky was only gaining a few inches. It was becoming more difficult to hide her gender as she got older.

They learned how to ride on horses and how to use the gear to get from the horses to the trees and vise versa. Their classes on titans was going about as smoothly as it could. She could read and write, but her pronunciation on some words were cringe worthy and her spelling had little to be desired. That didn't stop her. It seemed like nothing could.

Farley approached her during the hand-to-hand combat class, his anger finally getting the best of him after she had outscored him on titan take outs. When he lifted her up by her shirt, he stumbled a bit, caught off guard by how light she was, but he quickly threw her to the ground.

"What was that for?" She asked as she got to her feet, glaring up at him. He had grown a lot since the beginning, towering well over a foot over her. That didn't make a difference to her as she got ready to fight him anyway.

"We're getting tired of your crap!" He yelled which silenced everyone around. "You're always hitching off Erwin! You make the rest of us look bad when all you are is a lie!"

She popped her fingers, a nervous habit she had picked up from Stanley, who tutored her with strategy. "Tell you what. If you can beat me in a fight, right here, right now, I will move away from Erwin and-"

"No, if I beat you in a fight, you leave," Farley said.

She could tell he was winging his bluff would work, but she wasn't going to back down. "Fine. No one interferes."

He laughed, "So, you don't want Erwin to save you? Fine by me!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Farley, how badly do you want to get in the Military Police?" Ducky asked with a serious voice.

"Why does that matter?" He asked, his eyes glinting slightly.

"I want to know if I should break your hand like I broke Liam's," she replied as she raised her fist. "If you're worth the Military Police's time, I'll only bruise you. Now, why are you here?"

"I want to live in a great place. I'm tired of being poor and looked down on. That's why I'm here. Why are you here?"

"For freedom," she replied.

He laughed, "You think you can get freedom by joining the Scouts? That's a death wish!"

She crossed her arms over her chest, "I've decided to let you stay."

He was furious, "You have no say on if I stay or not!"

In his rage, he attacked, throwing a hard punch right at her face. With ease, she knocked his arm away, slamming her fist into his shoulder, immediately dislocating it. He immediately fell to his knees, holding onto it, tears starting to form in his eyes. She frowned a bit as she gently pushed his hand away, placing her hand back on his arm and shoving into place with a nasty crack.

"I don't ride off of Erwin's successes," she told him with a smile. "He's helping me learn how to read and write. Stanley tutors me in strategy. That's all the help I have here. That's all I need."

With that, she turned and walked away from him as the lunch bell began to echo over the courtyard.

"You shouldn't smile so much," Erwin said as they entered the mess hall. "It looks like you're flirting with them, and it's kind of weird."

She sighed, "I was kind of hoping that this wouldn't happen." She tucked a long piece of red hair behind her ear. Her hair was hanging in her face, which was starting to get on her nerves, so she would be getting a haircut that night. "The femininity is starting to show on my face."

"Yeah," he replied. "But, we'll be graduating in a few months." He ruffled her hair, "Then it might not matter anymore."

"Because we'll die?"

"Something like that," he smiled. It slowly faded as he looked at his mug of water, "Do you think we will die?"

"What? Where did that come from?" She asked.

After all the years, all the friends he had made even with his insane conspiracy theories, he was now starting to doubt it?

"I mean when we first get there," he explained. "Will we be able to leave more than once? Should we even be friends?"

"I don't see why not," Ducky answered. "Without friends, not only will you die by a titan's hands, but you'll die feeling lost and alone because you never made that connection with your brothers."

Erwin looked down at her as she looked up at him, her eyes shining, though she wasn't smiling. Even her gaze was getting to him. She was strictly her sister, but every once in a while, he would realize how much she had grown and how pretty she was.

Soon, they were back in their titan class where Ducky was reading over the titan anatomy book. If they could regenerate, why hadn't they tried to use the same chemical process on a human to see if they would grow back a limb or something? It was a question she couldn't ask her handicapped teacher since he was missing an arm due to a titan eating it, but it bothered her.

She had titan DNA in her and that gave her various titan abilities, but her healing ability could be put to use, couldn't it? There had to be a way to do something like that, right?

Someone nudged her out of her thoughts. She looked up at Erwin who looked slightly concerned, "Class has been over for five minutes and you haven't moved."

"Just thinking," she replied as she closed her book and notebook and stood. "Hey, Erwin, do you think the commander of the Scouts will let us capture a titan?"

"Why would you want to capture a titan?" Erwin asked.

"We don't know anything about them. I mean, if I can heal up since I have titan DNA, couldn't we help other people with it? I know titan blood evaporates, but what if we could pull it directly from the titan?"

"I don't think anyone would want to be the experiment," Erwin replied. "We can definitely look into it. More importantly, are you ready for tomorrow?"

The final test. They were separated into groups of three and one officer. They had to follow the officers orders in a titan forest. Really, they had free reign over what they did. At some point during the test, the officer would abandon them and they would have to fight the Titans and figure out teamwork to get to the main goal. It was okay to "die" in the scenario, but it was just an automatic fail in getting into the Military Police.

"I'll have to be," she replied. "I just hope my group is agreeable enough."

"That would take the challenge out of it," Erwin said. "They've been watching us for the past three years. They know how to make the absolute worst group and force them to work together."

"So, I'll be with Farley," she groaned.

He chuckled as the two walked to the gate that looked over the forest. They could see the wall from where they were, and it made Ducky feel slightly suffocated.

"You two quit flirting and get some food!" Someone called.

Ducky slid off the fence and headed to the mess hall. This was it. Her last meal as a cadet. She would be a soldier in the morning. The thought almost made her lose her appetite, but Erwin shoved bread into her mouth.

"You'll need your strength for tomorrow," Erwin reminded her. "And, you never showed me your little mind trick."

She smiled behind her cup, "It helped me with my speed. Also keeps me very aware of how much gas I have. I know where the titans are and how many there are. It's not much, but that's what I've been using it for. I don't even have to touch my gear, only slice the titans."

"Are you going to use it tomorrow?" Erwin asked.

"No," she replied. "I know it's not cheating, but it sorta is."

"It's definitely cheating," Erwin laughed.

As they headed to the barracks, Ducky sat on her bed, waiting for the showers to clear out. There were only fifty cadets left, most leaving during the sweltering heat of the first summer or nearly dying in the first freezing winter. It had been sad.

She knew everyone's name, but really only had casual conversations with them, never getting into why they were there. Farley was the only one she really butted heads with. Whoever he argued with the most would be their third person. She tried to think of who he fought with most, but it had really been mostly her.

Oh, that's right. She knew exactly who would be the third person in their group. Marcus Hilliard. He had tried to fight over authority with Erwin a couple of times when they were told to clean the mess hall, but he got in one nasty fight with Farley a few weeks prior. Marcus believed he was superior since he was the oldest. He had been assigned in a group with Farley and went against a direct order, resulting in their team failing. She had never seen Farley so mad and had tried to stop the fight, but Marcus punched her in the face, causing her to fall, just like when Liam hit her. She was certain his knuckles had broken since they turned purple just like Liam.

She sighed as she looked up at Erwin who had scissors in his hand, "C'mon. It will only get in the way."

She huffed as she followed him outside, letting him cut her hair once more. "You know, as long as you're in the military, you can't grow it out. It will get stuck in the wires."

"Yeah, but between the two of us, my hair will never look right."

"It gets it out of the way," Erwin replied as he continued to clip her hair. "Besides, it suits you."

"Right," she mumbled as she got out of the chair and headed to the showers.

Her last shower on the training grounds. She would be leaving after the final. Erwin had invited her to stay with him until the graduation ceremony. She was looking forward to it.

In the morning, she stood at attention with her fellow soldiers, ready to proceed with the final. She had been correct about her teammates being Farley and Marcus. Erwin had been placed in a team with Walter and a man named Nile that enjoyed arguing with Erwin about his conspiracies.

Her commanding officer was Derrick Rossi, another Military Police officer that they would have to listen to. She kept on edge around him, her hands near the hilts of her blades when he got close.

"This is so pointless," Derrick sighed. "And I guess all of you want in the Military Police? I looked at your files. You don't have a snowball's chance in hell of making it in the Military Police. Especially you," he slammed his finger into the center of Ducky's chest. He scoffed, "And just who did you piggy back off?"

"Erwin Smith," Marcus smirked as he looked at her tall friend who was speaking with his head officer, a retired officer from the Garrison.

"I see," he smirked. "We'll put you at the back of the line, then."

"But, sir, Ducky is much faster than we are. Shouldn't he be in the middle or front?" Farley asked.

"No, you do as I say, and you'll pass. It's when I leave that you need to know who's in charge," he told us.

"I will be in charge when the leader is gone," Marcus immediately claimed.

"I think Farley should be in charge," Ducky said. "He hasn't lost any soldiers yet."

Marcus snatched her from her feet, holding her up by the straps of her uniform. She didn't struggle as she hung there, glaring back at him. "Want to run that by me one more time?"

"Ducky, this can wait until after the final. I don't want to fail because you broke a part of him," Farley said. "Marcus, put her down. She can break your wrist."

"Or would you like to punch me in the face and break your knuckles again?" She challenged coldly.

He scoffed as he tossed her to the ground, staring when she landed on her feet rather falling to the ground like she had every time someone had tossed her aside. She had been messing around for the past three years, letting them think she was weak, but talented.

Her strength was far superior to any of the men in her presence. She had proved it to Erwin when she punched a tree, knocking it over with its roots coming up. No, the games were over. She was going to be a Scout. She could almost feel the Wings of Freedom on her back. Erwin had agreed to help her remove the branding of the Military Police and find a way to put the Wings of Freedom on her back.

"Officer Derrick Rossi! Please, get in place to start your simulation."

"Don't forget what I said," Derrick said as they walked to the forest.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn't supposed to cheat. He was going to fail her, though. He was going to fail all of them. She climbed her horse, ready for the terrible experience waiting for her.

The moment the gun went off, they began their gallop into the woods. Soon, titans began to appear, but Derrick made no orders. The three announced the titans and their sizes as they moved through, but Derrick told them to shut up. Derrick suddenly turned off, telling us we were on our own.

"Get in the trees!" Farley yelled.

Ducky launched herself up, landing next to Farley while they watched Marcus stay on his horse.

"I'm better at leading, but I'll tell you where to go since you can find the titans faster than I can," Farley told her.

She nodded, flying through the woods, attacking each titan, and telling Farley where one that wasn't in her immediate reach was. Together, the two made it through without fail, both landing on their horses and making it to the end where Commander Johnson stood, a clipboard in his hand as he wrote something down.

"Even when you have a terrible squad and useless leader, that shouldn't make you work slower." He told them, clearly holding back his anger. "I will discuss with the other teachers how we should grade your performance."

When they walked away, they found Marcus seething. "It's your fault if we don't graduate!" He yelled at them.

It was the first time someone had to hold Ducky from fighting someone. It took all of Farley's strength to keep her back. He finally managed to pick her up and slam her into the ground to keep her from struggling. When she got to her feet, she took a few steps back, glaring at Marcus, trying her hardest to not let her anger get the best of her.

There was nothing more for her there so she headed to the barracks and packed her bags to head to Stohess where Erwin lived. Waiting by the cart was Erwin who had a sad smile on his lips.

"So, you heard?" She asked with a sigh. "Commander Johnson said he would talk to the others about what to do. I don't know if Marcus is going to graduate."

"Hopefully he doesn't," Erwin said as he placed her bag in the cart. "If he does, I'd rather the Military Police take him than the Garrison or the Scouts. He'd only get eaten or sabotage something."

"Yeah," she agreed. "So, you live in Stohess?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "That's where graduation is taking place this year. Everyone will be there, but I do have some friends there. It will be interesting."

"I didn't cheat," she smiled as the cart began to move.

Farley and Stanley had joined them for the long trip back. They lived in the area between Wall Rose and Wall Sina. Farley was beyond angry still, and Ducky agreed with him. Marcus had royally screwed them over.

Ducky suddenly shivered, "Do you think Newson will be there?"

"What happened to him?" Farley asked.

"Not that he would have been a good teacher," Stanley commented begrudgingly.

"He did something he shouldn't have," Erwin said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "He only proved what sort of trash the Military Police are."

When Ducky noticed that had not satisfied their curiosity, she spoke up, "He was caught molesting one of the recruits. They purposely failed their maneuvering balance so they wouldn't have to deal with it."

Stanley sighed as he ran his fingers through his dark hair, "I can't believe it. Maybe I should join the Garrison. I don't want that to be associated with my name."

"That explains why you were so nervous around Derrick. Doubt he still has a job after getting shot in the leg," Farley sighed. "But, a title comes with each branch. To be honest, I think the Garrison is considered the laziest. They watch the walls. They're not even important on Rose or Sina, but they're stationed there. The Scouts are nothing but madmen with a death wish fighting a losing battle. The Military Police are considered corrupt. Either way, you'll receive a title."

"I would rather seem lazy than corrupt. I can at least work my way into the Military Police if I get bored with it," Stanley smiled.

"That much is true," Erwin replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Ducky and I are decided solely on the Scouts. The Scouts can be stationed anywhere, even in Stohess or anywhere behind Wall Sina. We will get called to the King to report our findings, even if it's nothing. Maybe we are crazy, but we have a purpose. You won't find more skilled titan slayers than those in the Scouts."

"So, why are you going to Stohess?" Farley asked Ducky. "Don't you want your family to know you've graduated?"

"I'm a failure and insult in their eyes. That's why I wanted to make it in the top ten. I needed to know." She interlaced her fingers, squeezing them tight as she glared at the cart's splintering floor. "If Marcus ruined that for us..."

Farley put his hand on her shoulder, "He didn't. He's not graduating. That's all Commander Johnson told me." He smiled at her, "Thank you for believing in me."

"I'm not ready to be a leader," she admitted. "I knew what we could do, and it was basically the same plan you had, but if I wasn't confident in your skills, I would have taken over."

Farley smiled, "I would have followed your commands. Sure you can't spell or write, but you've got a good head on your shoulders." He laughed, "I remember when you saved Commander Johnson from falling off the practice cliff."

"You what?" Erwin asked with wide eyes, his eyebrows almost touching his hairline.

"When we were forced to climb that cliff during the rainstorm, Commander Johnson had taken a step too far, and before anyone knew what had happened, Duck had grabbed the gear, launched herself down and grabbed him. It wasn't that much of a fall, but it would have hurt him pretty bad."

"I didn't want the Commander's reputation to be ruined, so Farley and I told him we would keep it under wraps. He's a good man, very admirable. I was a cadet, barely able to use the maneuvering gear. The chances of me killing both of us was greater than me saving him."

Erwin sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest, "You're a mess. You can't make those kinds of risks in the Scouts. You know that, right?"

"I know," she confirmed as she looked at her locked hands. "But, it's about judgment calls. When there's a chance to save them, I'm going to try, but I know a lost cause."

Ducky knew that much about Erwin. He was hellbent on answers, ready to sacrifice whoever he could convince to follow him. She was not a massacre leader. Erwin didn't mass suicide, but Ducky was less interested in getting answers than she was saving lives. She did understand the importance of sacrifice, but thee was a line to be drawn, and Erwin didn't really have that line. Nonetheless, if he was in command, she would follow him to death, he would follow her as well.

When they finally arrived to Stohess, the four parted ways, promising to meet later to celebrate. "You're going to get wasted, aren't you?" Ducky asked him.

"And you'll be joining us," Erwin smiled as they approached a small house in the middle of many houses.

All the houses looked the same, red terra-cotta shingled roofs and all whitewashed. The streets were pure cobblestone making the carriages make annoying, but rhythmic taps as they moved by. The people were dressed poshly. After living in those barracks for all those years, Ducky had almost forgotten what a woman looked like. Long hair and puffy dresses with gleaming jewelry.

"Not like your village?" Erwin asked as she looked around.

"No, my village is like the training grounds," she replied slowly as he eyes found a large building with stained glass windows with representations of the walls. "So, people really do worship the walls."

"People need something to believe in," Erwin commented. "It's human nature to want something to believe in."

"A wall is a stupid thing to worship," she muttered.

A hand suddenly slammed across her face, staggering her a bit in shock. Her eyes moved to a furious woman, gritting her teeth as she let tears fall from her brown eyes. "How dare you leave me like that!"

"I think you've got the wrong person," Ducky said as she rubbed her cheek. "I don't know you."

Ducky grabbed the girl's wrist, forcing her to stay still before her wrist broke, "Ma'am, I've been in the training Corp for the past three years. I'm only fifteen."

The woman slapped her again when Ducky released her, "How dare you treat a woman in such a way!"

Ducky was less than amused with the situation. In order to keep herself from smarting off, she turned from the woman and started walking away. She heard sobbing and turned to see the woman throwing herself on Erwin, who was frozen in place at the sudden attention.

"Erwin, where's the place we're staying?" Ducky asked.

"Just a little farther. The room is under my name."

She sighed as she looked away from the situation, heading to the hotel. If her hair was longer, she would be able to enjoy a night in comfortable clothing. Then again, she would be fine with what clothing she had.

When she finally found the hotel, she was very surprised. Flowers in beautiful vases lined the rooms and large canvases lined the walls. So many shiny things and bright colors gave her a headache. A well dressed woman gave her an uncomfortable smile, clearly not used to someone that looked that dirty walking into the hotel.

Ducky cautiously approached the desk, hoping not to alarm the woman, "I'm Ducky Kelley. I'm staying in a room registered under Erwin Smith."

She swallowed hard as she began flipping through her book. She finally gave a sigh of relief, all nervousness gone as she handed her the key, "Welcome, Ms. Kelley. Your room is 309."

When Ducky glanced back, she saw the shield and swords, the mark of the training Corp. she couldn't help but wonder why she had been so afraid of her. When she got to the room, she could hear some strange noice going on outside her window. As she looked out the window, she understood why the woman was so apprehensive. Just outside her window appeared to be an orgy, but with the Military Police watching. The woman seemed to be enjoying it, so Ducky decided to not interfere until she saw a child watching on the side, shaking and traumatized.

"Tch," she scoffed. As her eyes went to the adjacent bucket of water. She watched as the bucket slammed onto the sexing group. The sympathy she felt for the child made her look at the adjacent flower pot. The red flower pulled itself from the soil and floated down to the waiting child's hands. The smile on the child's face made it worth it.

"Did you like the show?" She asked without looking at the intruder.

When she turned, the man was pinned to the wall by knives, a knife floating at his throat. Frightened did not even start to explain the man's face.

"I-I-I'm just a m-m-m-messan-n-ger." He stuttered, barely able to stand due to his shaking legs.

"So, they've found me," she sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Her eyes moved to the paper on the desk by the bed. "Come here," she ordered as the knives left the wall and his throat. He immediately rushed to her side, his body shaking. "I'm not going to hurt you," she reassured with a smile. "Do you know how to write?" He nodded so vigorously she thought it might snap off. "Write 'Erwin, I've been caught. See you soon.'"

The man quickly scribbled the message down and ran out, Ducky on his heels. She knew where the Underground was. Erwin had told her all about it and the people down there. It sounded like her village without sunlight. That was where she would go if she had been caught.

She sighed as she rushed down some hidden stairs close to the wall. Slowly, she made her way down, careful to not make noise, despite the already loud racket radiating from the area. To her, it didn't seem like it was much different than the top world. As she got used to the moldy and sewage smells, she began to notice people on the edges of the swamp-like roads.

Of course, these people weren't alive. Either having been starved to death or murdered, it was impossible to tell. There were weak children, barely clinging onto life. She had to pick and choose her battles. Everyone she passed, she gave no attention to. They would have to die.

As she moved, she could tell she was getting close to somewhere. With the screaming women, Ducky believed it was simply a brothel that Erwin had explained to her. "I would like to think you would join one before you died down there, but it would be a nasty blow to your pride, especially since you escaped a village to avoid something like that."

The man didn't even touch her bag before she snatched him by his shirt and slammed him against a rotting house. The force behind the assault shook the house, knocking shingles from the roof. He glared at her, his hand releasing the knife to the ground.

She released him, bending over and grabbing his knife, "You seem like a decent human being. I need help. In return, I can give you a power you never thought you would have."

"What could someone like you possibly offer me?" He spat.

She stepped into the nearby alley, bringing her with him as the Military Police flew by, their gear flying them through the place. "I can get you that gear and teach you how to use it."

"Women are banned from the military." He stated bluntly, clearly not believing her.

"I made it three years through the Training Corp and got caught once, but I step in here and you immediately know." She sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest, "You know what? Fine. I'll find someone else."

He grabbed her wrist before she could leave, "I didn't say I wouldn't help. I will let you live with me for one week. Get me that gear, and I'll let you stay."

"Okay," she replied. "Where's the main entrance?"

She followed him, once again ignoring the sickly and dead on the side of the road.

"So, why did you give up your Freedom for this place?" He asked as they neared a busier part of town.

"I was going to hide the truth for the rest of my life," she sneered lowly. "I was running away from my village, so I looked to the Military for Freedom. I was even going to join the Scouts so I could be kept away from the rest of the world, and maybe be a girl again. Since women are banned from the military, I've had to fake it for the past three years. I didn't even make it to graduation."

They came to a stop at the base of some long stair that were blinded out by the bright sky. She could barely see some soldiers stationed at what looked like a toll booth.

"They charge a ridiculous amount of money to get out." He growled as he glared up the stairs.

Someone laughed behind them, but only her partner turned. "Well, if it isn't Levi! Ready to pay up?"

She could feel the man next to her tense up. "How much do you owe?" She asked him under her breath.

"Over 500," he replied lowly.

"Check your pocket," she whispered as she watched the toll booth. The guards were switching places. She had no idea what time it was. After asking multiple people that were passing by, she finally found out they switched at five o' clock. Twelve hour intervals.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she blinked, noticing a pistol was blocking her view. The large man was dressed in a dirty striped suit, his large face covered with a half grown beard. He was smirking, "Why don't you give us the other treasures you're hiding?"

"What?" She asked as she looked around, finding Levi on his knees next to her. "Why are you down there?"

"Don't be an idiot," Levi spat. "Just give them what they want."

She scoffed as she tossed the man her bag. He opened it as she got on her knees, keeping her hands up like Levi. The man scoffed as he trumped the bag out, dropping a whole lot of scrap metal and wire on the muddy ground.

"Useless," the man growled. "I bet a freak like you would sell on the market."

"Boys don't sell that high," another man argued.

Levi and Ducky shared a glance before looking up at the man who threw the bag to the ground and walked off, tossing the purple velvet bag in his hands. "Oh, teach them a lesson," he ordered.

Her eyes moved to the men around them, each holding a pistol and ready to fire. In their pause, Levi managed to kick one guy down and grabbed her arm, dragging her through the mud until she found her footing and chased after him. As she ran, her bag flew by her, stopping right in front of Levi for him to carry.

When Levi threw her into a house, she knew she was home. The incredibly clean and orderly house was small, one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen area and a small living room. He gave a tired sigh before heading to his kitchen and grabbing a teapot and filling it with water.

So, he was a tea person.

She walked to him, taking the bag from him and opening it. "Huh, that's weird."

"What's weird?" He asked, looking into the bag.

"My blades are missing," she replied as she dumped all the pieces on the ground as well as my comfortable clothes of shorts and a t-shirt.

A broom was shoved into her hands, "Clean that up."

He took the broom back when the pieces started to move, putting themselves together until the maneuvering gear had reassembled itself. "What just happened?"

"It can wait," she replied as she ran her fingers through her hair.

He pushed her to the bathroom and closed the door, "You're not coming out until you're clean."

"Levi, I need my clothes!"

The door opened, her clothes getting tossed in and the door closed once more. She sighed as she looked at the rigged shower. There was one knob for one temperature of water. She was willing to bet it was cold, but she turned the water and tested it just in case.

It made her laugh. Freshly melting snow. Despite the freezing temperature, she took a long shower, being sure to scrub off as much as she could. When she got out of the shower, she dried off and stared at the bandages in her hands. She didn't need them anymore. Reluctantly she put them to the side grabbing her bra that had been placed in her shorts.

Changing into the shirt and shorts, she stepped out of the bathroom, only to be pushed into a chair and forced to look down. "Your hair is a mess," he commented, briefly explaining his actions.

She smiled slightly, "I told him he didn't know what he was doing."

"So, are you ready to tell me about what just happened?"

She relaxed as he ran his fingers through her hair. "My name before I joined the military was Ermengarde Jude. I'm from Golden Rod where scientists experiment on people injecting pregnant women with titan DNA. My brothers and I are results from an abnormal titan gene. It gave us different abilities. I can control things down to the smallest detail, sometimes, which is how my maneuvering gear got put back together so quickly."

He was quiet as he continued cutting my hair. On occasion, he would grumble something about how sloppy it was and how I wouldn't have any hair by the time he was done.

"What was your name after the Military?" He asked.

"Ducky Kelley," she answered with a yawn.

"Did you really hate yourself that much?" He asked, earning a laugh from Ducky.

"I'm all ears if you've got something better," she replied, her drowsiness starting to show.

He suddenly ruffled her hair, waking her up a bit. "All done. It's the best I can do. You'll just have to let it grow out for you to look more feminine. That will be your best disguise until we leave."


	5. Chapter 5

Levi wasn't controlling at all. He kept order in his house and Ducky followed those rules. He gave her a key and let her sleep on the couch until she got the gear, which after living with him for three days, she managed to receive without much bloodshed.

Levi stared at the gear, confused but eager to learn. "So, Moppet, how does it work?"

He hated calling her Ducky, so he called her Moppet. It didn't bother Ducky in the least. It helped her trust him more knowing he cared enough to call her something he believed she deserved. She was happy to teach someone since she had been pretty much useless when she was in training. Levi got the hang of the equipment quickly, learning exactly what everything could do.

"I'm not against killing people, but why on earth do they need blades like these?" Levi asked as he looked at the flexible blade on his hilt.

"It's for the titans," she replied, never looking up from the book she was trying to read. "Levi, I don't know what this word is."

He walked to her, taking the book from her hands as she pointed to it. "Pseudonym. The 'p' is silent."

"What is a soodenim?"

"Pseudonym," he corrected.

"Pseudonym," she repeated slowly.

"It's just an alias, like Ducky Kelley or Moppet," he explained as he handed her the book. "What are you reading?"

"I don't know," she replied. "It keeps using weird words like biting, piercing, and other stuff, but I don't think it's about murder since it's talking about love and stuff."

"That is called a romance novel, and if you don't know what's going on, you shouldn't read it." He took it from her, placing it on the table by her to enunciate his point. He walked around the couch and looked at her as if he was really seeing her for the first time, running his fingers through her hair to keep her bangs from being in her face, "You're just a child. Do they allow children to join the military?"

"Yeah, at twelve," she replied as she leaned into his cool touch.

"You're only fifteen?"

She shrugged, "I don't know what day it is, so I might be sixteen."

He sighed, "Cmon, help me with supper."

This had become routine, and Ducky enjoyed it. She was sleeping better than she ever had, even if it was on a couch. She did enough throughout the day to wear herself down until all she could really do was turn pages in a book or help Levi with something simple.

"Someone's at the door," she told him as she carefully chopped some small carrots she had grabbed earlier that day.

A scowl appeared on his face, "He's early."

Since his debt had been paid, people were coming to Levi with jobs and paying him for the various crimes. He was starting to earn respect again, something he had evidently lost in a nasty gamble.

He washed his hands before heading to the door and opening it. It was the large man from before, only this time he was smoking a cigar and had a scar on his face. Ducky noticed how clean his suit was while his shoes were covered in mud. Levi was not going to be happy.

"Your salt wasn't enough," the man grinned wickedly. Greed was such a disgusting thing. "Look at that over there," he whistled as he stepped in, ignoring Levi entirely. "Tell you what, Levi, I'll take her off your hands in exchange for your freedom."

"I don't owe you anything, so you can shove it," Levi spat. "Get out of my house."

Ducky paused in her chore, looking at the small scuffle that had started as Levi forced the man out of the house. He slammed the door, forcing the lock, something that rarely happened. She could tell he was mad, but he had gotten to where he didn't express his emotions as much. He wasn't cold, just not as animated. On occasion, he would crack a smile or chuckle, but he mostly kept a neutral face.

When he got angry like that, he always had to take a shower to calm down, a small habit of his that made Ducky smile. It also left her with finishing dinner and getting him tea. She didn't mind these things. She wanted to be a girl for once, and this is what she was raised to do back in her village. The only thing she hadn't done was spread her legs for any and all visitors back then, it was forced, and Levi had no interest in it whatsoever.

Sighing, she stared at the varying teas Levi had collected over time. He liked all of them, though preferred some to others depending on his mood. She was having a hard time finding it, and it started to make her panic that they may have run out. Finally, she found the ever so rare guava tea. Rumors were the King couldn't even afford the delicacy she had stolen from some over priced vendor in the market.

She sighed as she stretched, pulling the boiling pot from the stove and placing it on the counter, doing her best to make enough counter space for the soup as well. The unfortunate realization of needing to move to a bigger home was heavy on Levi and Ducky's minds. The house was in bad condition and only getting worse with a second person living there. They were saving up for a new home, though. If they couldn't buy it, they were going to take it over. It certainly made things easier.

While the food cooled off, Ducky started washing dishes. Levi had poisoned her mind with his cleanliness, though it still wasn't up to par.

"You're doing it wrong," Levi said as he stood behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he forced the dish out of her hand and washed it himself.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she took the dish from him and began cleaning it the same way he had.

He sighed heavily as he wrapped his arms around her waist, an intimate position he only had when he was truly exhausted. "I don't know if I've paid off the debt. There were three ounces of salt in that bag, but it wasn't enough."

"Three ounces of salt can buy half the underground. It was more than enough," she assured him.

"How do you know?" He asked weakly.

"Because I made the mistake of giving you an item rather than money. I'll deal with him next time he tries anything."

He tightened his hold around her, gently nuzzling his cheek against hers. "I'm sorry that you're in this situation."

"Don't be," she smiled. "We might both be dead if things hadn't fallen into place."

He gave a small, tired nod before releasing her, "Guava?"

"You looked like you needed it," she replied as he headed to the teapot where the tea bags waited to be used.

She watched as he reached for it, but quickly stopped him when she realized how shaky his hands were. "You're tired," she told him as he glared. "If you try to pour it, you might drop it or spill it."

He released the iron pot allowing her to make it for him. She took it to the table, putting it down, not really trusting him to do it alone. After she grabbed some of the bland soup she had made from the pot and taken it to him, she noticed his frown.

"I got there late," she explained. "It will be better tomorrow."

"Late? That's unlike you."

"I ran into a friend of mine from the Training Corp," she said with a smile. "He told me I would have placed fifth in the top ten. He said he would pass on the word to Erwin I was still alive, and he wanted to meet again tomorrow." She ran her fingers through her hair, "I'm going to need the blades from your gear."

"Why?"

"Marcus didn't graduate, but he got into the MPs by spilling information about me. I know they'll be planning an attack, but I don't know where. It took me a while to find an empty home that was far away from here, but we're going to have to start moving soon. I'm not exactly average looking."

"So you plan on killing them?"

"I plan on breaking their gear to where they can't keep up with me."

Levi didn't move when the door suddenly broke in. Ducky as already on her feet, gun drawn and waiting. She lowered her gun with a frown, "Farley, what are you doing here?"

"Everyone is looking for you," he told her, worry clear in his voice. "When Marcus showed up to graduation and you didn't, Erwin told me where to find you. They're planning to ambush you tomorrow and take you to the King for execution. Ducky, you need to leave."

"Stanley told me," she replied, though she was starting to get anxious, "I'm not leaving Levi."

He went quiet for a moment, looking at the man behind her for the first time, "You sure do move fast."

"I never had a relationship with Erwin," she replied bluntly. "Thank you for the warning, Farley."

"You don't understand," he argued, "They're sending the Golden Force."

She crossed her arms over her chest, unamused, "The elite group of soldiers that come from the titan experiment community? Yeah, I'm from there."

He swallowed hard, "We-we-were...you..."

"One of the abnormals, yes," she confirmed. "And make no mistake, if I have to kill the police, I will. For me to choose to live down here rather than return to that village should speak volumes of how they treat women there."

Farley smiled slightly, blushing as he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, "Now that your hair has been fixed, you are very pretty."

She smiled, "Thank you, Farley. Unfortunately, the Military Police are searching for you now, and I must ask you to leave."

He fired off his gear, flying away from there leaving Levi and Ducky to deal with their broken door. "He broke the door," Levi said, hinting his anger and annoyance.

She smiled at him, "Don't worry. We can push it up and put the couch in front to keep it up. I can still sleep there."

"No, you're sleeping in my room," he told her.

He was blushing, unable to look at her for the simple demand. She had only been there a month, but this wasn't the first time Levi had asked something like that from her. "Alright," she agreed. "Let me get everything cleaned up and take a shower, then I'll be in there."

Levi put the door back in place while she cleaned the dishes and got everything put away. After a freezing shower, she started to head to the bedroom when she saw the mud from the man that had rudely entered. With a yawn, she grabbed the broom and began sweeping. The process would have been easier if Levi wasn't so nitpicky, but she had to make sure it was absolutely clean before she went to bed.

Finally finished, she headed to the make-shift bed he had made. When she got to it, she froze finding Levi asleep in her spot.

She reached for him, but stopped when she saw his hand was under the pillow. Last time she had woken him up, he stabbed her in the shoulder. She hated to follow through with her actions as Levi slowly began to levitate off the ground, getting placed in his own bed, the knife following him and sliding under the pillow. The sheets pulled over him, and his body relaxed.

He was self conscious around her. When she had first arrived, he had been sleeping without shirts but when she had slept in there, he wore a long sleeved shirt that she could tell made him uncomfortably hot.

With a yawn, she got on the floor, curling into the bedding she usually used on the couch. She smiled at the new smell, guava tea. Somehow, Levi always managed to smell like the tea he drank. It was comforting and light, like a summer breeze. Unable to fight sleep any longer, she drifted off, hoping no one would bother them.

First thing in the morning, she was woken up by Levi roughly shaking her.

"What?" She asked groggily.

Before Levi could even answer, she was on her feet, standing at attention, her salute still and absolute as she stared ahead, "Sorry, sir!"

"Stop that. You look like an idiot," Levi replied, his annoyance still in his voice. "Why was I in my bed?"

"Because...it's your bed?" She answered skeptically, his eyes only narrowing in response.

"You were supposed to sleep there," he told her.

"Levi, why did you want me in your bed?" She asked.

"So you would have one," he answered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I have one," she argued, "It's just holding up the door right now."

He shook his head, "You get the bed until we get the door fixed."

"I don't want your bed," she explained. "I'm fine with the floor. If it's dirty, you won't be able to sleep."

He sneered slightly, but agreed with her logic. There was no way he would be useful after sleeping on the floor. "You're smart for a kid," he said as he ruffled her hair.

She shook her head, "No, I just know you. Smart people can read and write without help."

"You're getting there," he encouraged. "You haven't asked in three days. Pseudonym would be a very hard word for someone who's only been reading for three years."

She allowed a careful smile, "Thanks."

He suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her head against his shoulder, almost like she would disappear or be taken from him at any moment, "Ducky, I need you to come back."

She nodded as she took a step back, "I'll be back. Don't stay here, though. Pack what you can and hide what you can't carry in the bathroom. There's a hole by the shower that drops a good four feet. When they burn the house down, it won't reach that stuff."

She placed her hand on his cheek, examining him to remember him. She would miss her dear friend. She would miss his black hair that hung in his face and sometimes covered his sharp eyes that reminded her of her titan slaying blades. She would miss the small man that still stood taller than her and his superior attitude that showed up when others came around. She would miss their walks through the markets as she stole items while walking nonchalantly by.

But she would return to him, just not in this house. She would return to his smile and clingy exhaustion. She would return to her dear friend. He was by no means Erwin, but he was certainly close. No, she would return to him, but she knew she wouldn't be the same.


	6. Chapter 6

With her maneuvering gear cleaned and ready for battle, Ducky stepped out of the house she had come to call home. A lot had happened in that house in the short time she had been there. She had made a friend, one willing to help her survive an that relied partly on her to survive.

Using the gear, she shot up to a nearby house and searched the dark city for anyone coming her way. Carefully, she moved closer to the bustle, still watching out for the Military Police that were planning to ambush her.

Golden Force. She scoffed at the stupid name. It really wasn't much better than her particular race of people being called the Titanics, but it sounded better than Golden Force.

She stood guard on the edge of the market watching people pass by ignoring the beggars or dying. Merchants of all kinds lined the streets selling rarities, there were brothels almost every other building, and broken down bars in between. She was amazed at the amount of people from the top that came down to the brothels. It made her wonder if the women were worth it or if the men were that desperate.

A gunshot behind her signaled the beginning of her battle. Her gear launched her across the city, giving her a good view of how the Military Police was going to try to pin her. As they circled around her, she could tell they were forming at least five rings and closing in.

Rather than let adrenaline control her, she popped her hilts into the blades and shot herself full force toward the nearest Military Police, her sword easily slicing through his gear without touching him. Being mid-flight, however, forced him to slam into a decrepit home that shattered on his impact. Many more fell the same way, the men on the ground crying out for back up.

She had taken out the three circles that were using their gear when they showed up. It was the Golden Force. Of the five present, two of them were her brothers, Peter and Killian.

"We wouldn't have recognized you without that hair," Peter smiled.

"It's good to see you, sis," Killian greeted with a warm smile like his brother.

Despite the battle that was about to take place, Ducky shot her way to the building they stood on and hugged them both. "It's nice to see both of you. I'm sorry it came down to this."

The two frowned, "Yeah."

"Oh," Peter exclaimed as he reached into a bag he had hidden beneath his cloak. "After the King heard about your success in the Training Corp, he declared women to be allowed to join. He's even letting you graduate into the Military Police."

When Ducky saw the jacket's emblem, she frowned, "I'm joining the Scouts."

"Scouts?" They asked.

The two jumped when a house behind them suddenly collapsed. "He was getting too close," Ducky said. "Call off the men directly below me or they will die."

The three stood in a tense silence, as if daring the other to make the first move. "I know Farley, Stanley, and Marcus are down there. I can't really tell them apart though. Let's see who dies."

Her brothers flinched at the sound of the gun resonating beneath their feet.

"You don't have to do this," Peter said, almost begging her. "I know you have friends down here, but you can't stay."

"I'm not going back to that village, and I'm not joining the Military Police," she said firmly as she pointed a sword at them. "We are not experiments. I'm not a baby machine or a sex toy." She didn't realize she was crying until she sniffled, "I'm not leaving. Not unless I take everything I have here with me and go to the Scouts."

"You're too dangerous, Ermengarde," Killian argued. "You don't know how to handle your power yet."

The brothers knew they couldn't use that argument when she lifted her blade, easily blocking an attacking soldier. "You have no idea who you're messing with," she warned them.

"Fire!"

She stood still as surrounding gunmen took their shot, only to have their bullets freeze and turn back on them. Then, all hell broke loose.

The Golden Force appeared. The missing five Titanics popped from nowhere, all assaulting her at the same time. She was barely able to keep up with their swift attacks, desperately trying to keep an even head before she accidentally killed someone. After a few hits, she started hitting back much harder, her blade hardening a bit as she broke their blades and wires to keep them handicapped while she flew around.

While they chased her around, she managed to disappear from their line of sight, landing in a small cavern that had a maze leading through most of the city. She needed to get away from the populace, where the dead rested. As she ran, she suddenly felt a terrible heat rushing toward her.

That's right. Peter could control fire.

Spinning on her heels, she stared at the swirling inferno and shot out of the cave, the sewer cap exploding up with her. She was immediately caught off guard when a giant sword slammed through her chest, pinning her to the other side of the city.

And, of course, Killian could control objects, changing them to various things or making them larger or smaller. She struggled against the blade, doing her best to block out the agonizing pain.

She was surrounded, but she had made some damage to the squad. The ten had dropped to two, her brothers being the last to stand. She could tell there were fewer alive than had originally joined them.

"How many died?" She asked.

"Five," Peter replied. "Two of them were your half brothers on your mother's side."

"Brothers," she pondered quietly. "What were their names?"

"Jonathan Riley and Frederick Bohannon," Killian said.

"So, a son of a scientist and a son of an elder," she frowned. "You know they came for me, too."

"We remember," they answered.

"You can't get by on sympathy, Ermengarde," Killian said as he used his gear to get to a house closer to her. "You killed our family. You have to pay."

She groaned as the blade shrunk letting her fall to the ground. She lay still on her stomach, staring at the very worried face of Farley and Stanley while Marcus smirked, walking from their hiding spot. "That was quite a show," he said as he clapped. "It's a shame you'll be executed."

She took a deep breath, tears starting to fall from her face as the ground began to shake. Her head felt like it was about to explode as she closed her eyes. Her eyes opened as the houses around her began to shake, some of the smaller ones lifting off the ground while the others had roofs that started to shatter and float. Just down the alley, the skeletons of forgotten people began to float as well. If she was going to die, she was going to be remembered, and the Golden Force would be no more.

Fire began to spout out from various sewers surrounding them, catching the floating houses and corpses on fire, having them swirl around creating a tornado of absolute pain. Her eyes focused on Farley and Stanley. Levi was somewhere nearby, but she couldn't pinpoint him.

"Now, I can die in peace," she said as she closed her eyes, the inferno swallowing everyone in the area, focusing on the Golden Force that had surrounded her.

The pain of the collapsing debris wasn't as bad as the burning. She wanted so badly for the pain to stop, but she suffered through it, her lungs burning, her skin melting and bones boiling. She begged for death as the weight began to crush her, but it never came. Her mind was still too active, making sure Farley, Stanley, and Levi were safe.

They were just too close, her mind worrying and her heart pounding. The roaring inferno had caught a lot of attention, many citizens swarming the area, but those four were the only ones not moving.

She opened her eyes, not realizing they had ever closed. Everything was so quiet...and clean. She sat up in bed, staring at the room around her. The walls were smooth, a light tan and there was a small dresser next to her. She didn't recognize the clothes she was wearing, but got out of bed and headed to the closed door. What bothered her the most was the sunlight glaring through pale curtains. Why was she above ground?

Climbing from the bed, she realized she was in uniform, and next to her were her new clothes. As she stared at the gold unicorn, she could only glare. She was an official member of the Golden Force.

She pulled on the straps to her maneuvering gear, strapping down the complex system, blades at the ready. Almost out of habit, she pulled on the orange jacket with the insulting mark and stepped into her boots, walking out of the room to speak with whoever was in charge.

When she pushed the door open, she nearly ran into a rushing soldier. He stumbled a bit, and opened his mouth to argue before slamming it shut and saluting her. The only benefit from being in the Golden Force was all military had to listen to their orders, no matter what the commander said.

"Stop standing like that," she told him. "What's your name?"

"Leslie Adams, ma'am!"

"Leslie? Would you rather be called Adams or something else?" She asked. His tension didn't go unnoticed.

"Leslie is fine, ma'am," he replied.

"Alright, I want you to get Stanley Halbert and Farley Jackson to report to me, immediately," she told him. "Where is the commander?"

She followed the timid soldier to an office that had a lot of noise going on behind it. She could smell the tobacco and alcohol before she opened the door. She hadn't ruined their party, instead being invited.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw her brothers in their intoxicated states. Though drinking was looked over by most military officials, she did not agree with people at her rank getting hammered, and that was what her brothers were doing.

"I'm looking for the commander," she announced.

"We haven't had a commander in years," Peter told her. "Gather what troops you want, and put in their file they're yours, and that's it. You can boss around all of them, but the ones you claim don't have to listen to what any of the other Golden Force say, but they can't give orders."

The brief, but insightful information was necessary for her to do her job. She would need their help. She closed the door behind her, walking down the halls until she found a room she decided would be her office. When she turned the knob, the door clicked itself locked.

She grumbled as went back to her room and began searching for anything that remained of her former life. Only a few pins were left. Nothing to remind her of Erwin. Nothing to remind her of Levi.

"Commander Jude," two voices called from behind her.

"Stop saluting'" she ordered, not looking back at the two. "And don't call me that. It's Ducky, and it will always be Ducky." She turned to the two who were trying to hold their terror back. "I trust you two since we graduated together. You will wear these at all times," she said as she pulled two pins with the Golden Force insignia and pinned it to their jackets. "You do as I say, and only as I say, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The two agreed with smiles.

"I don't remember what happened in the Underground, but I need you to tell me everything," she told them as she closed the door.

"Well, you burned down a good bit of the underground," Stanley said. "We're supposed to lie to you, but Levi is alive. He tried to fight off some of the Golden Force, but we promised you would visit as often as you could, since your position is almost next to the King."

"We told Levi we'll help pass letters between you. We sneak out mail for everyone else," Farley grumbled.

That made Ducky smile, "Not what you hoped for, huh?"

"No, it is," he admitted. "But, after seeing what you can do, and after learning about the people from Golden Rod, there's a chance against the titans that we're not taking. We could win, but it's like they don't want to."

"Good," she replied with a nod as she headed to the locked office. "There's a locked office down the hall, it will be my office. We will begin cleaning it immediately. There will be no dust or stains, do I make myself clear?" They nodded. "Good. Starting today we will be working on improving the Military Police from the inside. It will be a long and difficult process, but we need to get rid of anyone and everyone that will stand in the way of our cause."

"What is our cause?" Stanley asked as Ducky started picking the lock.

"To create a secondary force from Golden Rod. A group that will be sent out on expeditions at the request of the Scouts for the more intense expeditions. I doubt we will be able to get any to willingly join, so there needs to be a secondary group at the ready."

"Just from Golden Rod, or will you accept transfers?" Farley questioned quietly.

The lock clicked at the end of the sentence, allowing her passage to the dark room. "I thought you wanted to be in the Military Police," she said, casting a look of doubt to Farley. "What are you trying to say, Farley?"

"Stanley and I talked about it," he began as he followed her into the dark room, "We decided to go where you go. We'll follow you to the titans, if that's where you take us."

She smiled slightly as she lit a candle, "I see. The Scouts are always looking for recruits, and I can guarantee you will be trained personally by me if you come with me."

"Trained? Isn't that what we spent three years in that hell hole doing?" Stanley asked as Farley and he joined in with lighting up the room.

The room was more than a mess. Large bookshelves filled with books and trinkets lined the walls, even covering windows and a door. There were rolled up pieces of paper, possibly maps of sorts stashed in a corner and closed wooden crates everywhere. Cobwebs dangles overhead and when they stepped, dust plumed at their feet. There was a large table, able to seat at least ten people buried beneath empty bottles of booze and old poker chips. Disgusting.

"You spent three years getting standard training. I spent ten training in Golden Rod. You won't be able to move when I get done with you. If I had had the time, I would have done the same with Levi, but I only managed to get in two days. He surprised me with that."

She walked up to one of the packed book cases and pulled a book from the shelf. A frown appeared on her lips as she stared at what she hoped to be a different language since she couldn't read any of the words.

"Let's empty the bookshelves so we can move them around and get to that window and door. If we have to, we'll move everything to my room to keep it out of people's way."

They began emptying the bookshelves, placing all the things on the table and slowly pushed the old cases to the center of the room. The amount of sunlight that entered hurt their eyes, and Ducky had to pick open the other lock as well.

The other room was practically the same, though it had more open space without the large table. Instead, there was a small table. So, the cleaning began. Though Ducky couldn't read any of the books, she told the others to keep them and put them on shelves.

It took days for her to clean the rooms. No one stopped her, no one asked why. Every day Stanley and Farley reported to her, telling her about things they had seen in their patrols. Everything was falling into place, though not in the way she had expected.

Shortly after she had finished arranging her office, a soldier stormed in, practically throwing Farley to the ground in front of her.

"You had better have a good explanation as to why my soldier is on the ground," Ducky said as she looked up to the older man.

Newson stared down at her, his eyes widening as the reality of who he was staring down began to register. "Commander-"

"Shut up," she spat as she stood up. "Farley, what happened?"

"The same thing he was caught doing back at training," Farley answered as he stood up. "Stanley had heard a rumor and was following up on it when we caught him."

"Where is Stanley now?" She asked.

"The medical center. Commander Newson shot him."

Farley didn't move when he heard the gun go off and the man falling to the floor. He been shot straight in the head, Ducky lowering her arm as she stared down at the paling corpse. "Now, we'll get this cleaned up and I'll write an official report for his file. Farley, I will need you to write a report since you are a witness to the entire situation. Please write a second report on the situation with Stanley so we can add that to his file. Are his injuries life threatening?"

"No, ma'am," he answered.

"I'll write a leave of absence on Stanley's behalf to give him a few days off. Let me know if he wants to see his family," she ordered as she stepped around her desk to look at the body.

"Disgusting filth," she spat. "He's not worth the burial we have to give him. I should throw him into the Underground and let rats eat him."

After sending for soldiers, a group of five walked in and took the man's body without question, though left his jacket behind to give to his family. Once she finished cleaning the blood from the floor, she went back to her desk to write the report on what happened.

"Already killing people? What did he do to you?" Killian asked from the doorway.

"My soldiers heard rumors he was molesting children, and they caught him in the act. He shot one and brought the other to me so I could punish him. I killed the Commander instead."

"Why? Commander Newson would never-"

"He molested me while I was in the Training Corps. He got shot there, too, but that wasn't enough of a punishment since he got promoted. Do you have official business in here or are you going to tell me I made the wrong choice to kill someone so admirable?"

"I was going to save you the time of doing the paperwork, but since you killed the commander, there doesn't need to be an official report. Also, since you killed him, he was the one in charge of the Underground, so you'll get to deal with that again."

She sighed as she pulled out some paper from her desk and began writing the report. The Military Police needed to be cleaned up, and she needed to start. As the days passed, she never received a letter from Levi in response to the one she had sent. If he hated her, she couldn't blame him. She had heard him address the Military Police as pigs, and now she was one. Even still, she sent money when she could.

Erwin, however, had finally sent word to her, congratulating her on her entrance to the Military Police. He told her he would be in Stohess within the next few months to report findings. He was still trying to convince his commander to capture a titan to experiment on.

That seemed to be a constant as her life slowly became boring. She didn't care much for her drunken brothers who had a bad habit of getting into bar fights or causing some sort of problem in the Underground. Since she had been put in charge of the area, they took advantage and tried their best to ruin everyone down there. There wasn't much respect to be earned, but what she could get, she was thankful for.

Almost every week a complaint came in about people robbing vendors in the Underground, but Ducky never did anything about it. She knew it was Levi. Only when something completely out of character happened did she send Farley and Stanley to check on it. She soon found out Levi had friends, but found out in a terrible way when Farley came back with a slice on his arm.

It was the first time in nearly five years that Ducky had returned to the Underground due to the incident. She had sent Levi a letter and would wait for him at the bar.

She didn't wear her uniform, dressing in white pants and a red long sleeved shirt that she had found in her office while cleaning it out. She didn't bother ordering a drink as she sat down at the bar and waited.

As time passed, she wondered if he was coming. Her telekinetic powers had only gotten stronger to the point she could not only sense people around her, but she could tell them apart.

She recognized Levi's presence before he even entered the bar. There were two more with him, who she could only assume were his colleagues. She didn't move when she felt his fingers move through her hair, just like they used to.

"You let it grow out," Levi stated as he sat by her.

"It still looks bad," she replied as she pulled the band from her hair and fixed it back into place. She looked by him where a young girl with red hair and jade eyes glared at her and a tall blond man sat, giving her a suspicious look. "Farley came back injured."

"It wasn't us," he answered. "There's another group that's starting to take my business. I'll take care of them."

She smiled slightly, "I miss it down here. My life has turned into nothing but paperwork and killing people."

"So you are turning into one," he mumbled.

"Don't get me wrong, they all deserved it, and I took the legal way of doing it," she answered. "It's crazy how many people chase children. Farley and Stanley are all I've got, and it's taking everything we have just to keep up with that. The more we learn, the worse it gets. I've had to personally kill nearly thirty soldiers."

"So, you are cleaning up the streets," Levi said. "But, you can't get us out of here?"

"Stanley and Farley have been looking into it when they're not chasing people. I've saving up because once your out, the King will demand taxes on you for however long you've been alive and living Underground. You're, what? Almost twenty five? Your friends are probably twenty three and sixteen. I'm doing the best I can, Levi. You're an honest man with a good heart. I'm not going to pave the road to your freedom in blood."

He placed his hand on hers, giving it a small squeeze, "Thank you."

Their meeting ended, the girl asking Levi seven million questions as they parted ways. When Ducky returned to her office, she looked at the book on her desk. She had been teaching herself how to read again, though this time it was in a different language entirely. From what she could understand, the books were written before the walls. She didn't understand what they were saying, but life had been different before the walls. Honestly, what she could understand made her want to stay in the safety of the walls forever, but she couldn't back down. She was the answer to the problem of the titans. She just needed to work on finding a way to get to the Scouts.

A knock caught her attention. "Name and business," she ordered.

"Do old friends need a reason to visit?" The man asked as he opened the door.

She couldn't help but grin as she stood up, "If it isn't Erwin Smith."

She moved around her desk, hugging the tall man. He was older and it was showing. The messy haired teen now had brushed blond hair and eyes that showed the pain of loss and trauma of fighting titans. He was larger, his shoulders and muscles much larger than they had been. He wore the Wings of freedom with pride, in his own way of picking at her that he made it when she didn't.

"We're looking for recruits," Erwin said as Ducky made her way to start some tea.

"I wish I could join," she said as she sat down at her desk. "Stanley and Farley have been helping me clean up the ranks and streets."

"Oh? I thought you wanted to join."

"Plans change," she admitted quietly. "Levi said the Military Police was worse than the Underground. He was right. I've also placed a request to section off some of the Golden Force to be at the ready should titans attack or the Scouts need the assistance, but it's been denied." Erwin shifted under her wicked smirk, "I've become quite the asset, Erwin. If I step away, the Golden Force could collapse on itself. Also, the crime would go back." She sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, messing it up once again, "I have to choose between the human race now or the human race in the future. Stanley and Farley are ready to follow me to the Scouts, but if they leave, corruption would definitely return."

"So, you have no suggestions?" Erwin asked.

"He's going to murder me, but yes, I do have a suggestion. Three, in fact. They're not able to go right now. Can you wait a year? You won't regret it."

He sighed as he watched Ducky get up to make the tea, "I don't remember you being a tea drinker."

"Levi didn't drink anything else," she replied. "Life in the Underground was so simple. I never ended up in a brothel. Levi took me in pretty quickly. We had a good arrangement."

Erwin frowned, "You were only fifteen. How old was he?"

"It wasn't like that," she defended. "I stole food and other stuff for him, he gave me a place to stay."

"I never thought you to be a thief," he scoffed quietly.

"Thief, murderer, things you never think of becoming, you become," she replied dismally. "I managed to lose the title of thief, but murderer I still carry."

"Murderer?"

"I killed around twenty soldiers during that event in the Underground. Since I got up here, I've killed thirty soldiers. I consider it justified, but not many others would."

"Guess it depends why," Erwin pondered.

"There were more Newsons in the ranks than I would like to believe," she replied lowly. "If I could decide their fate, I would put them in the Scouts."

"I see," Erwin mumbled. "Well, Commander-"

"It's still Ducky, Erwin," she corrected. "I don't like pulling rank unless absolutely necessary."

"You're twenty now, right? I'm sure older soldiers resent that."

"You have no idea," she replied with a smile.

"I still haven't seen your mind trick," he smiled. "If I hadn't heard the Underground had been destroyed, I wouldn't believe it."

"Well, that's fine, because I've been meaning to rearrange some of the books on my bookshelf."

She could hear the books shuffling around as Erwin watched in awe. "We have an actual chance against the titans, but you're here." He slammed his fists on the table, shaking the tea cup a bit, frustration written across his face, "You're here, protecting humanity from itself! If people weren't such trash, you would be able to fight!"

"If people weren't trash, I might not exist," she sighed. "On a positive note, I've been learning another language. This room is full of books that talk about things before the titans and before the walls, but I can't really understand what it's saying. I can only form partial words, so it's a work in progress. The answer to defeating the titans might be in this room. Only time will tell."

"I'll give you that time," Erwin stated. "I'll give you a year, then I'll be back for the three you told me about. If you can figure out a way out of this place, come with me to the Scouts. Fight against the titans so there will be children to save."

It was a dark thought. If titans did get in...there would be no one to save. As Erwin updated her on the failed experiments they had done on one titan they had captured, Ducky's mind began to wonder. What did Golden Rod have that the Scouts didn't have?

"Ducky?"

She looked up at him, not realizing she had started reading the book on her desk. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking, what is Golden Rod keeping from the Scouts to keep them from beating the titans? As a basic rule, no one outside the military is supposed to know about Golden Rod. Obviously people know about it since someone wrote a book about it, but no one believes that. So, what is Golden Rod hiding? For them to get fresh abnormal DNA to inject into my mother, where did they get the titan?"

Erwin smiled some, "I've been wondering the same thing. I'll see you next year."

He left after getting a quick hug and ruffling her hair, "It looks good. You've become more beautiful than I thought you would be."

She smiled slightly, "Yeah, I was supposed to be a man for the rest of my life. Who knew?"

He chuckled as he left, closing the door behind him. She had a lot of work to do. She immediately went back to the book, looking through the pages, trying to decipher the words as she compared them to other books on her desk.

Days passed without her leaving the room. Every so often, Stanley or Farley would update her or bring her food, unable to really catch her attention to the more urgent affairs as she gave them basic objectives of punishment for whatever crime that was brought up.

Her face fell when she found the deciphering code. There was no way a world like this was beyond the walls. A world where people could fly. A world without candles. A world without titans.

As she looked over different diagrams and pictures, she simply couldn't grasp the information. Though she really wanted these things to be impossible, her maneuvering gear was in there as well. All of it was definitely possible, but there was no way for her to make it possible. The supplies were simply too expensive.

But...

Her eyes moved to a miniature figurine of a dog. There was a possibility. She just needed wood, and a lot of it.

Hours ticked by as she began building one of the things in the book. It took her days to crack the equation so she could correctly scale the size for the thing. Who knew...maybe it would work.

Failure after failure passed, each getting thrown in the fire to rid the evidence. It took her three months to create the thing. She didn't even know what it was supposed to be. It had long pieces and small pieces, even wheels. The book said it could fly. It was called an airplane. As for as she could tell, there was nothing air could do for it, and what was a plane? Did they misspell plain?

With a disappointed huff, she threw it toward the fire, but immediately froze when she saw it glide. It stopped in the middle of the air, just floating as she approached it. It...it could fly.

It took her days to grasp the concept as she stood in her office and threw it, watching it glide and stopping it before it could get damaged. What was this witchcraft? Only, it wasn't witchcraft, not really. Not unless her maneuvering gear was made from witchcraft as well.

She immediately began working on the next invention in the book, something called a hot air balloon. It could make people fly, too, sort of. It was more so that they could touch the skies rather than fly. It used fire to float.

She had completed the scaling diagram when everything went to hell.

"Commander!" Stanley and Farley yelled as she's practically kicked in her door, falling in front of her desk.

She didn't need to be told. The fear and tears in her soldiers eyes told her everything. Titans had officially started a war.

"Where are they?"

"Shiganshina! They're heading to Wall Rose!"

She took a deep breath as she grabbed her jacket, shrugging it on and attaching her gear to her waist. "Until we reach the Scouts head quarters, you are my soldiers. Stop for no one. I'll grab what we need for the journey. Get the horses ready and wait for me."

"Sir!" They saluted before rushing out.

As Ducky began packing bags, she kept her mind open to others approaching. They would try to stop her. This time, there was no stopping her. Her eyes moved to the pen and paper on her desk. The pen immediately began scribbling on a piece of paper. Her farewell to Levi, and all the money she had saved up. For all she knew, he was just going to keep the money and burn the letter without looking at it. Since he was so proud, he might be burning the money she was sending as well.

Finally finishing, she grabbed the bags, the money and letter, rushing out of her office. She was less than pleased when a wall of fire appeared in front of her, keeping her from leaving.

"You're not going to fight the titans," Peter said as he looked at her over the fire wall. "You're stuck here."

His eyes widened when the fire suddenly went out. "You have no say over anything I do, Peter," Ducky said as she walked by him. "I'm going to save the human race before they die out behind these worthless walls."

She continued out, not bothering to wait for Killian to try to interfere. Just as she began to wonder where he was, she made it to the stables, where he waited with Stanley and Farley.

"You can't stop me," Ducky told him.

"I'm not here to stop you," he replied, "In fact, I support you leaving. I know the titans can't kill you. I promise Levi will get your letter and money." He smiled at her suspicion, "I've been helping smuggle things down to the Underground as well. Though, I mostly do medicine since I can sort of make more. Peter and I will keep an eye on the corruption as far as the children go. Good luck...Ducky."

She smiled slightly as she passed him the letter and money to her brother, "Take care of Peter, Killian. I don't think he understands."

"No one does," Killian admitted.

She hugged him before tossing bags to her comrades and climbing onto the horse she had been given. Without a second thought, she rushed her horse to the gate, ready to join the Scouts. It surprised a lot of people when the gate to Wall Sina began to rise slightly, just enough for Stanley, Farley, and Ducky to escape.

The trip was quiet, occasionally stopping for water or to eat. It was the first time since training that they slept under the stars. Stanley and Farley were definitely terrified while Ducky tried to grasp the situation.

"Ducky, you won't let us die, will you?" Stanley asked.

"No, I'll do my best to keep you alive, but you are soldiers. Even I can die."

"You're taking this well," Farley pointed out. "What's on your mind?"

"There's so much humans are able to do, but we're limited. I don't understand. Golden Rod is holding something from the Scouts. Once the situation with Wall Maria is settled, I think I'm going to head to Golden Rod and figure out what they're hiding."

"I heard they hadn't used anymore abnormal DNA since it killed so many people," Stanley spoke up while looking at her. "You could stop them for good."

"Yeah," she mumbled as she looked at the stars. "I'll definitely kill the scientists and elders. The world needs to be rid of people like that."

The two laughed. Even Ducky chuckled a bit. Her kill list was starting to get a little long. Compared to the rest of the Golden Force, she was just an ant. All the Golden Force was well over 200cm. But, little Ducky was going to walk into the village of giants and kill them. It was amusing to picture.

"Get some sleep," she told them. "We'll be arriving tomorrow, probably."

"Yes, sir," they replied.

She yawned some, her eyes watering a bit as she continued to watch the stars. Someone had been up there. Someone had felt the sky. Could the sky be touched? What about clouds? Were they as fluffy or soft as they appeared to be? She wanted to touch the sky. Would she be able to before she died? Dying of old age seemed improbable, but if that was the case, would she live to see the day when humans touched the sky again? With thoughts of freedom clouding her mind, she drifted off.

Their day started with the sun. She wondered what the crack of dawn looked like. Everywhere she had been, the wall always blocked the horizon. After adjusting everything on the horses and making sure they had been watered and fed, they began their journey once more to get to the headquarters.

It was almost evening when they arrived, being welcomed by none other than Erwin and his commander. Ducky, Stanley, and Farley saluted the commander, who was introduced as Commander Keith Shadis. His sunken eyes spoke volumes of his exhaustion from the battle field.

"And who are you?" Commander Shadis asked with narrowed eyes. "The last thing we need is Military Police to bother us. Or a woman."

"My name is Commander Ermengarde Jude of the Golden Force," Ducky introduced. "These are my subordinates, Stanley Halbert and Farley Jackson. We graduated with Erwin Smith."

"Sir, this is Ducky Kelley," Erwin told him. "She made the top ten, but couldn't join the Scouts since she was a woman and from Golden Rod."

Ducky kept eye contact with the man as he stared down at her, "The Golden Force, huh? You don't look like much. Smith said you had some special talent."

"Way to underestimate it, Erwin," Farley mumbled as Stanley snickered.

"Well? What's this special talent?" Shadis growled.

"S-sir, the cannons are moving!"

Ducky kept her eyes on Shadis as he stared back at her, refusing to break her gaze.

"Sir, the cannons have been lit!"

"How many?" Shadis asked.

"Ten, sir! They're taking aim!"

"Sir, they're aiming at you!"

Shadis flinched when the cannons went off.

"Take a look, Commander," Ducky said as she approached him and moved to his side.

The cannon balls were a few feet away from him, surrounding him, but all would have made a perfect hit if they had been allowed. There was even one that had moved around Erwin and was a bit closer to the commander than the others.

"That is my small talent," Ducky told him. "Farley and Stanley don't have those abilities, but they will follow me to the end."

"So, there is a chance," Shadis said as he ran his fingers through his thinning hair. "We don't have time to get you a uniform. We're going to try to fight the titans to help the rest of humanity get to Wall Rose."

He left, leaving her with Erwin who smiled down at her. "Let's put your titan killing abilities on titans rather than humans."

"You heard him," Ducky told Stanley and Farley. "Leave what can be left here. Let's represent the MPs one last time and try to give humanity hope in the Military Police once more."

"You give terrible motivational speeches," Erwin said as he patted her on the shoulder.

"I suppose you've had plenty of time to come up with yours," Ducky joked as she dropped one of her bags from the horse, leaving the food and water attached.

"We are giving our lives for humanity. There is no greater reason."

Someone laughed as he placed his large hand on Ducky's shoulder, "Look, this isn't a game, officer. You should go back to the crown. We wouldn't want your uniform to get dirty."

Ducky pushed his hand from shoulder, "Erwin, you should keep your men in check. They have a tendency to speak out of place."

"Commander Jude is right," Erwin told the man. "She's not part of the Scouts, so she's still a Commander of the Golden Force. Until she wears the Wings of freedom, she is your superior."

"Tch, they let women in the military and suddenly they rule over us. You probably can't even use the equipment correctly."

Ducky grabbed Stanley's arm, pushing him back before he tried to attack the man. "We represent the Military Police, Stanley. Our name is dirtied enough without us needing to add that we physically fight the Scouts. Never throw the first punch."

"Just make sure the second ends the fight," Stanley quoted. He put his hand out, forcing a strained smile. "And when possible, kill with kindness." His smile slowly became more genuine, "A smile can be the final nail in their coffin."

"What was that?" Erwin asked as he man awkwardly shook Stanley's hand.

"Never throw the first punch. If you have to throw the second, make sure he doesn't get up for a third. Kill them with kindness. Bury them with a smile. In other words, don't start a fight, but be the one to end it and when your opponent is finished licking his wounds, try to his ally, because anyone stupid enough to challenge a Military Police member is smart enough to know how to slip through the cracks with their crimes."

"You let some people go?" Erwin asked.

"Of course," Ducky replied. "Anyone that led me to child chasers got let go."

"And that thief friend of yours?"

"Of course I let him go," she told him. "He wanted to live on the above ground. He wanted to live in the sun, earn an honest living. Not only would he have to pay to become a citizen of the city, but the King would tax him for every year he's been alive. The Military Police have an outrageous price to get out of the Underground. He has friends that he won't leave behind. They'll have to pay their taxes too, but they have to pay it when they get out from under there."

"I see," Erwin replied. "That doesn't make it right."

"No, it doesn't, but he's not exactly being treated fairly. There is no clean living down there. But, he's the one I want you to get when you go back to Stohess. You will not regret having Levi with you."

She noticed Erwin's look, "Are you trying to get him out because you love him?"

"If that was the case, I would have left the Military Police and joined his life of crime permanently to get our way to the above world. I care about him."

"Hm," he hummed thoughtfully, though his face remained stoic. "He must be impressive to catch your attention."

"It's crazy," Farley called out from behind. "He's got these friends. They're practically untouchable down there."

"Ducky almost got him though because Farley came back with a cut," Stanley laughed.

"It wasn't them?" Erwin asked.

"No, Levi said he would take care of it, so I left it with him to deal with it," Ducky told him.

"Are you ready to ride through the night?" A soldier chortled. "I bet you haven't had hardships like this since you were in Training."

"You know, I thought the Military Police were bad, but this is just mean," Farley frowned.

"The Military Police are just as bad," Ducky said. "This is their territory. If they want to pick at us, let them. The only difference is I taught you to be honorable men no matter what the situation. It's ruled in our favor, most of the time."

"Most?" Erwin asked.

"I killed someone. One of the officers disagreed with my methods. When he tried to start something, I put him in his place. Another soldier didn't like the way I was talking to him, and it turned into a mess. Lots of broken bones."

"You can't just kill people!" A soldier exclaimed.

"I'm a commander in the Golden Force. I can kill who I want for whatever reason I choose."

"Why would you kill an innocent person?!"

Ducky's grip tightened on the reigns of her horse. "What's innocent about a man that's selling children? What's innocent about an officer, sworn to protect the people, being the one that's damaging more than he's helping? There was nothing innocent about them."

She heard Farley yawn, "Hey, Commander, what do you think Shiganshina looks like?"

"The Underground after I burned it down," Ducky replied. "There will be blood, and it will smell awful. Titans aren't thorough, so there will be corpses and body parts. If you have friends in that area, I hope you're ready to see them like you've never seen them before."

"You've never even seen a titan," a soldier growled. "Don't act like you know what to expect."

"Ducky, can you read minds?" Erwin asked.

"And I can see memories," she replied. "I'm sorry, Erwin."

"That won't prepare you for what's coming," Erwin said. "Nothing will."

They rode through the rest of the night, arriving at Trost in the early morning hours. Erwin was right. Even after seeing Erwin's memories, she hadn't been ready for the beasts that controlled humanity behind walls.

They towered over them, meters upon meters high. Some of them carried squirming people, some still chewing on people.

"You know what to do!" Shadis exclaimed.

"Stay with me," Erwin said.

"Stanley, Farley, stick to me!" Ducky called.

"Get that thirteen meter!" Erwin directed.

"Stanley!"

Ducky watched as her soldier shot off his horse with his gear, flying around the titan, his swords slicing its neck and the beast falling to the ground, Stanley landing on his horse once more and falling back by Farley.

"Fifteen meter!"

"Farley!"

"It's an abnormal!" A loud scream called from behind her.

Stanley zoomed by, Farley's horse following as Ducky slowed her horse down, jumping into the air as her equipment fired her back, shoving her straight into the titan's stomach. It wildly thrashed to grab her, eventually succeeding. It lifted her up, ready to eat her while she simply stared back.

"What simple creatures," she spat as the beast's legs suddenly collapsed beneath it, eventually disconnecting from the force. It still made an attempt to eat her, but was soon put to death as part of his neck was cut out.

She reached out, her hand grabbing the reigns of her horse as it bolted by. Soon, she had joined the front line, easily slicing through the titans, either by crippling them with Stanley and Farley finishing them, or actually killing them herself.

She saved who she could, though her focus was mainly on her soldiers and Erwin. It was hard keeping the titans away from the general public that was rushing through, but it was possible. It felt like days of titan slaying before everyone was in Trost.

She heard a fight and watched a Garrison pushed down a traumatized kid.

"What's going on here?" Ducky asked as she walked up to the group, getting between the Garrison soldier and the boy.

"Oh, look, the Military Police have decided to show u-"

The man screamed in shock when Ducky kicked his legs out from under him, forcing him to his knees where he had to look up to her. "Watch your mouth, peasant," she said calmly. "You look like you haven't been to training in a few years. Maybe you didn't know, or maybe you forgot, titan blood disappears."

She was covered in red from soldiers she had fought by, some not making it. She was angry. Angrier than she had ever been. She realized then she was the answer. It would take time for her to adjust to her power to that type of adrenaline, but it would be possible.

She shoved the soldier to the ground with a sneer. "You lost nothing, you pathetic man. This child has lost everything, and then some. If I find any more children roughed up by you, I will end you."

She kneeled down to where she was looking up at the boy, "Are you okay?"

She was caught off guard when the boy wrapped his arms around her neck, sobbing. Smiling a bit, she gently returned the embrace as she watched two children approach her. The girl, once emotionless, suddenly had tears in her eyes as well as the blond boy who immediately jumped on her.

With careful movements, she managed to hold all three of them as they sobbed. She didn't move, even though she knew she needed to leave, go back to headquarters to get her Wings.

"I'm going to be strong like you," she heard the first boy mumble. "I'm going to join the Scouts! I'm going to kill all the titans!"

She smiled as she gently pulled away from the kids, placing her hands on the boy's shoulders. There was determination behind those green eyes that gave her hope. "And I'll be there, waiting to welcome you."

He was beaming until his eyes went to her jacket, "But, you're Military Police."

"Nothing is forever," she told him. "Some of us were born privileged. Some of us have to fight our way to the top. However, we were all born with a choice. Do we live for today, or do we live for humanity's tomorrow. And, it's okay to live for today. Some of us have no chance to save humanity, but we must find a way to save ourselves."

"What were you?" He asked.

She thought about it for a moment, letting the question roll through her mind, "I was born privileged. I did nothing to earn my position in the Military Police. However, I am the reason women are in the military. I went through the three years of training. I was in the top ten of my squad." She placed her hand on his head, gently ruffling it, "I want you to do me a favor."

"What is it?" He asked curiously as she looked at the sniffling blond boy.

"I want you to read Life in Reverse," she smiled.

"Why? Doesn't everyone know that story?"

"Just read it again," she replied as she stood. "Tell me what you would do if you thought that book was telling the truth."

The blond paled but soon smiled, "You mean, it is?" He grabbed his friend by the shoulders, "Do you know what that means, Eren?! The sea is real! The fields of sand! The lakes of fire! It's real! And, it's outside the walls."

"How do you know?" Eren asked,

"They were written by the same man," the blond was almost in tears from happiness.

She was surprised when the blond suddenly latched himself to her legs. "Thank you!"

"Armin, what about the Titanics?" The girl asked. "That means they're real, too."

"Commander! We're leaving!"

She placed her hands on each of the kids' heads, "I don't know if you're all coming to the Scouts or not, but, Mr. Eren, I will be waiting for you."

How could she forget those eyes, burning with such determination, it was almost intimidating. The girl was different, wearing a red scarf that clearly meant a lot to her. She had dried her tears much faster than the boys. Armin gave her a grateful smile. He looked like his birthday had come and he was getting the best gift he could ever have. Those big blue eyes of his glittered like a river.

With a small wave, she left the kids, being sure to send another glare at the soldier that had hurt Eren earlier.

"You won't be able to rescue every child," Erwin told her as she caught up to the group, mounting her horse before they left.

"My goal isn't to rescue every child. It's to save humanity. However, I will not allow children to be abused in any way in my presence."

"You'll make a good captain," Erwin said. "I might consider that promotion when I become commander."

"I'm not one for leadership," she reminded him.

"That's not what I saw today. You didn't even need to speak to your soldiers without them knowing what to do."

"That's not leadership, that's teamwork. I can only help so many people at a time."

"You know squad leader is just a fancy term for Captain, don't you?" He smiled.

"Squad leader sounds like it has fewer responsibilities," she reasoned.

"You'll be a great captain," Erwin smiled cheekily.

"And if you find a better candidate?" She asked.

"I'll have two captains."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"The Military Police have ten commanders just because they're the Golden Force. There are other commanders and other captains. I can have as many as I want."

Ducky gave him a deadpanned look, "No, you can't."

"Oh yeah? You'll see."

"How did you turn Erwin into such a child?" A soldier asked.

She simply shrugged as Farley and Stanley got to her sides. Both of them were clearly concerned for their leader.

"You didn't look so great with that Garrison guy," Farley finally said. "Is everything okay?"

"That kid had been through far too much for a soldier to just kick him down," Ducky confided, her voice low, almost a growl. "We save children. When we are not fighting for humanity, we are fighting for children so there will be a humanity to fight for. Remember that."

"Sir!" They saluted.

Erwin laughed, "You still call her 'sir'?"

"When we first started reporting to her, she told us it was still Ducky. The Ducky we knew was a guy," Stanley explained.

Erwin shook his head, "I graduated with idiots. How you made it to the top ten is beyond me."

"Hey, they're my soldiers now," Ducky frowned. "It's not their fault you don't joke around anymore. They had their experience of seriousness in the Military Police. At least killing isn't frowned on here."

"It's frowned upon, just not toward titans," Erwin told her.

"I wasn't comfortable being called Commander by people I graduated with," Ducky stretched.

"It was always fun to see her pull rank, though," Stanley grinned. "People would part to let her walk by."

"That was one time, Stanley, and that was because I had kicked a man through them, not because they wanted me to walk by."

"Keep telling yourself that," Farley teased. "We know you liked the power."


End file.
